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(ib^otogital Seminary,
PRlNilETON, N. J
No. Shelf, ^_^^
No. Book
3297
kirt^
POPERY CONDEMNED
BY
SCRIPTURE
AND
THE FATHERS,
POPERY CONDEMNED
BY
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS;
BEING A
REFUTATION
OF THE
PRINCIPAL POPISH DOCTRINES
AND
ASSERTIONS
MAINTAINED IN THE
HEMARKS ON THE REV, MR, STANSER'S EXAMI-
NATION OF THE REV. MR, BURKE'S LETTER OF
INSTRUCTION TO THE CATHOLIC MISSIONARIES.
OF NOVA SCOTIA,
AND IN THE
REPLY TO THE REV, MR, COCHRAN' S FlETH AND
LAST LETTER TO MR, BURKEy ^c.
By THOMAS MCCULLOCH,
PICTOU.
1 thank him, he hath bid me to a calf's head ; the which
if I don't carve n-,ost curiously, say my knife's naught.
SHAKESPEAaE,
EDINBURGH :
PRINTED BY J. PILLANS & SONS, LAWNMARKET.
1808.
P R E F A C E.
J HE foiiowing Refutation was occasioned by a
virulent attack upon the Protestant religion, and
a defence of Popery, which has been published
anonymously, and circulated with great industry
through Nova Scotia and the adjacent province?.
Though I have no wish to excite animosity a-
mong theisubjects of a Government, whose in-
dulgent mildness ought to satisfy every religious
party, I conceived it my duty to appear in de-
fence of those principles which our ancestors
have transmitted to us with the testimony of
their blood. It appeared to me, also, that
.something of this kind was requisite in a coun-
try where books upon the Popish controversy
are rarely to be found, and w^here Papists pro-
pagate their doctrines with a zeal that would do
honour to a better cause : And besides, the Au-
thor of the Remarks needed a little wholesome
castigation, to prevent him from arrogating to
himself a victory, to which he has no cUiim. I
have neither appeared in defence of Dn Cochran
a no*'
iV PREFACE.
nor Mr Stanscr. They are both able to fight
their own battles. The Remarks are surnamed,
A Reply to Dr. Cochran's Fifth and Last Letter :
they might have been termed, with greater pro-
priety, an invective against his person.
The Remarker, from a defect of judgement
or some other cause, has produced his assertions
without form or arrangement. I have therefore
reduced them into a regular series. As my de-
sign was to direct the attention of the reader
chiefly to the leading points of debate between
Protestants and Papists, I have overlooked many
errors and falsehoods contained in the Remarks ;
because they could not be introduced w^ithout
perplexing his mind, and diverting him from
the principal object in view, and al^o swelling
the Refutation to an im.moiJerate size. But in
the topics discussed, I have shifted no argument
nor quibble which he had advanced, either to
support his own principles, or to oppose the
Protestant religion. In stating them to the
reader, I have used his ow^n language ; and even
his quotations from scripture are given in his
,own form. The only liberty that I have taken,
is the omission of a multitude of Hebrew and
Greek scraps, which he has tagged to his Eng-
lish version of the scriptures, from a childish
pedantry, and to impress his readers with an
idea
PREFACE. Vlf
idea of his amazing erudition. It is not an ac-
quaintance with the grammatical construction of
languages, that constitutes either a man of learn-
ing, or a good writer upon controversy.
In the Refutation, I have taken the Remark-
er upon his own principles. As Papists deem
scripture an insufficient rule, I have added those
human authorities to w^hich they pretend to re-
fer, and shown their principles to be equally in-
consistent with scripture and antiquity. His
dogmatic assertions 1 have sometimes contrasted
with the sentiments of other Popish divines, and
sometimes with the Fathers. The reader's at-
tention, hov/ever, is most frequently directed to
the latter, that he may see how httle reason Pa-
pists have to boast of their assistance. " 'Tis
'* common," says the Remarker, " with all
*' innovators and pretended reformers to reject
•' the authority of these sublime writers whom
** we Catholics call the Fathers of the Church *."
To show, therefore, to whom these epithets
properly belong, I have quoted the Fathers as
often as he could desire.
The profusion of abuse which he has poured
upon the first Protestant reformers, I have pass-
ed entirely in silence. At that species of rea-
a 2 soning,
*
p. q
VI PREFACE.
soning, I humbly acknowledge his superior me-
rit. Like Mr. Burke, his predecessor in the
^var, he seems to think the vilest calumnies
laudable, when they tend to the support of the
Popish system *. His wrath appears principally
directed against Luther, whom he has loaded
with every epithet which rage and malice could
invent. The reason has been long ago assigned
by Erasmus, a Papist more celebrated for the
. shrewdness of his observations, than for his
iriendshlp for the Romish clergy : " Luther,"
says he, " had two faults ; he touched the
*' monks* bellies, and the Pope's crown.**
Thomas Lord Cromwell is another of those
characters whom he attempts to bespatter with
his filth. He is pleased to style him " an out-
" 'cast from the dregs of Pultney, an arch-vil-
'' lain,'* with other appellations as happily de-
vised. If it reflect disgrace upon a person, to
have raised himself, like this worthy nobleman,
from the lowest station in life to the highest dig-
nities, solely by his talents and virtues, the Rc-
marker has no cause to nourish anxious forebo-
dings
* " I pass in silence/' says that writer, " ether party
^* writers, not less virulent than he, holding it unfair and
*' inconsistent with the morality of the Gospel to traduce
" before the public any man, much more so any body of
*' men, hut in the case of self-defence : 1 reason," &c.
Postscript to his Let. of Instiuct. p. j^i
P R E F A C E. Vli
dings of future animadversion. He is in no
danger of being held in ignominious remem-
brance by posterity. Had he been born among
the dregs of Pultney, he would have remained
among the dregs of Pultney still. The memory
of Lord Cromwell v^ill be dear to every friend
of reliction and social virtue, when the Remark-
er and his Remarks have descended with great
quiet into the land of forgetfulness. The arch-
villainy of this amiable reformer consisted in his
opposition to the abominations of the Popish
clergy of that period, and his successful at-
tempts to dilFuse real religion and rational infor-
mation.
The Remarker also endeavours to represent
the exertions of this nobleman and his friends
in behalf of religion, as '' such a complication
'' of hell-invented stratagems and monstrous
'• crimes as startle horror itself*,'* But the
reason is obvious ; they exposed the vices of
the clergy, discovered the deceptions by which
they had imposed upon the credulous, or the
'^ simple faithful," as the Remarker terms the
laity of the Romish Church ; and, what he.
seems chiefly to deplore, they deprived them of
that immense wealth, which had enabled them
for many centuries to perpetuate their abomina-
a 3 tions;
* P. 14..
»»«
VllI PREFACE.
lions. I have no intention at present to disprove
his calumnies, by a recapitulation of the filthy-
practices which were then discovered in many
of the religious houses in England. 1 will leave
him to those consolations which he can derive
from a refuge of lies, and, for the credit of hu-
man nature, let them rest in peace. Nor would
I wish the reader to believe, that all the Romish
clergy are actuated by the same sinister views.
There are still many in that Church, who de-
plore its general depravity, and abominate the
selfish spirit of their brethren ; who cherish a
high esteem for the scriptures, and entertain the
most exalted views of the nature of religion.
By consulting the Reports of the London Bible
Society, the reader will see, that there are some
among the Romish clergy, who have surmount-
ed the prejudices of education, and rejected
many of the trammels of Popery ; who glory
in the cross of Christ ; and who rejoice in the
efforts of Protestants to turn the attention of
men to the scriptures.
The style of the Refutation may appear to
some rather severe. It is not, indeed, that to
which a candid opponent is entitled ; but its jus-
tification will be found in the tone of the Re-
marks. To have given him the reply which
.Solomon directs *> severity should have degene-
rated
* Prov, xxvi. 5.,
PREFACE. ix
rated Into III nature. The Remarks exhibit
much angry malice and many falsehoods, many
quibbles without accurate reasoning, and a pe-
dantic show of learning without one particle of
sound erudition.
It was a party-coloured dress
Of patch'd and pye-ball'd languages r
'Twas English cut on Greek and Latin,
Like fustian heretofore on satin.
It had an odd promiscuous tone,
A s if h' had talk'd three parts in one ;
Which made some think, when he did gabble,
Th' had heard three labourers of Babel j
Or Cerberus himself pronounce
A leash of languages at once.
This he as volubly would vent,
As if his stock would ne'er be spent ;
HUDIBRAS.
N. B. In the following sheets, R, stands for Re-
marker, or the anonymous Author of that Pamphlet
to which they are intended as a reply.
CON-
CONTENTS.
Page
Chap. I. A review of the RJs assertions^
that the apostle Peter was at
Rome, and bishop of that SeCy 13
II. An examination of tJie supremacy
which the R. has ascribed to the
Apostle Peiery - - 24
III. A refutation of the spiritual su-
premacy which he has ascribed
to the Pope, - . 46
IV. A view of the temporal authority
claimed and exercised by the
■ Popes, and an account of the
means which they have employed
to support iiy - ' 96
V. An examination oj' the R.'s scrip-
tural notes of the true Church ;
indefcctability, perpetual visibi-
lity, universality, and infalU-
bility, . - - 128
Chap.
12 CONTENTS.
Page
Chap. VI. A refutation of his assertions ccji-
cerning the Scriptures and tra-
dition^ - - 197
VII. An examination of the Popish
'viezas of the Lord's supper^ 277
VIII. On purgatory^ and prayers for
the dead^ - - 305
IX. On the zvor ship of saints and a?!-
gels, and the veneration of ima^
ges and relics ^ - - 330
POPERY
POPERY CONDEMNED, &c.
CHAP. L
A REVIEW OF THE R. S ASSERTIONS, THAT THE
APOSTLE PETEK WAS AT ROME, AND BISHOP
OF THAT SEE.
1 HE extraordinary claims of the See of Rome
are founded upon its supposed connection with
the apostle Peter. The R. is at great pains to
shew, that he both lived and died in that metro-
polis. " There is as great certainty," says he, " of
*' his having been at Rome, as that he wrote his
*• first and second Epistles *." As he is very
anxious to have this assertion believed, I have
no objections that he should retain it for a part
of his faith. The certainty of this fact docs
not, as he imagines, prove " ruinous to the re-
A " formed
* P. 176.
il POPERY CONDEMNED BT
*' formed system */* There are more points to
be established between that and the supremacy,
and infalUbility of the Romish church in the
nineteenth century, than he will find himself
able to prove, with all the assistance that Popish
tradition can afford him.
To the evidence which he has adduced from
the Fathers in confirmation of this fact, he might
have Hkewise added th^ ocular demonstration
of the Moderns. Paradoxical as it may appear
to the reader, the wondering eyes of many liv-
ing witnesses can attest, that Peter was actually
in that city. Since the R. has omitted such a
material part of his proof, he will permit me
to add it ; lest the church should lose any of
these doctrines which Popish tradition has care-
fully transmitted for the edification of the faith-
ful.
A principal design of Peter's coming to Ron e
was to oppose Simon Magus, who, by his jug-
gling tricks, had procured the favour of both
the emperor and the people. At their first in-
terview, the magician engaged to ascend into
the air, in the presence of him and the whole
city. With the help of the devil, he according-
ly performed his promise ; but, Peter invoking
the name of Jesus, the devil was so terrified,
that he left Simon Magus lo shift for himself;
and the consequence was, that his body hav-
ing-
* P. 177.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. l5
ing a much greater predilection for the earth
than heaven, made such haste downward as to
break both his legs. Were any person to que-
stion the truth of this narration at Rome, the
impression of the apostle's knees in the very-
stone upon which he kneeled on this occasion
would be shown him, and another stone still
tinged with the blood of the magician. Whether
this proof of the Romish faith yet remain at
that city, I cannot positively affirm. Buonaparte
has lately discovered great reverence for the
gold, silver, and precious stones of the church ;
so that these have perhaps been carried into cap-
tivity, with other parts of the patrimony of St.
Peter.
The church of Rome was long supposed to
possess another decisive confirmation of the
same fact. This was the identical chair in w^hich
the apostle Peter had been accustomed to sit.
So " universal and uninterrupted" had the tra-
dition, respecting this point, been, that the 18th
of January was regularly observed as the fes-
tival of the Holy Chair ; and then, it was ex-
posed to public adoration. In the year 1662,
when it was cleaning, in order to place it in
some conspicuous part of the Vatican, the asto-
nished optics of the gaping spectators were pre-
sented with the labours of Hercules engraven
upon it. If the reader have any curiosity to know
who was Hercules, and what were his labours,
A 2 he
16 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
he may be informed that he was a heathen god ;
and his labours relate, how he begat fifty chil-
dren on fifty sisters all in one night ; with many
other stories equally edifying and pleasant, and
such as an apostle would naturally keep about
his house for the amusement of his visitors.
*' Our worship, however," says Giucomo Bar-
tolini, who was present at the discovery, '^ was
^' not misplaced ; since we did not pay it to the
*' wood itself, but to the prince of the apostles,
^^ St. Peter *.'* Another Italian writer, unwilling
that this holy chair should be altogether ex-
cluded from the worship of the church, attempt-
ed to explain the labours of Hercules, as em-
blematical of the future exploits of the Popes f.
And it must be confessed, that the procreative
powers of some former heads of the See of
Rome, afforded him cause to entertain san-
guine hopes of their future deeds of genera-
tion.
Though I have no intention at present to de-.
ny that Peter was at Rome, I cannot help ob-
serving that the proof which the R. pretends to
draw from the scripture is entirely unfounded.
" His first epistle," says he, " is dated from
" Babylon, and that, under the name of Baby-
" Ion, Rome v/as then undersood, we know
" from the scripture and authentic history : St.
" John,
* Bartol. Anticli. sacr. dl Ronia. f Juuchesini Ca-
tectra restit. a S. Pietro.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. IV
" John, in the Revelation, speaks of the city of
" Rome, under the name of Babylon, manifest-
cc ly *." That John under this designation
meant Rome, is the general opinion of Protest-
ant, as well as Popish writers ; because wt are
persuaded, it is the seat of the beast and the
false prophet. But I cannot conceive, why he
should transfer the mystical expressions of the
apostle John, to Peter. He might as well say,
where Egypt is mentioned in the New Testa-
ment, it denotes Jerusalem ; because the latter
is so denominated in the book of Revelation.
In confirmation of his sentiments, he has pro-
duced a quotation from Eusebius. " Eusebius,"
says he, " the father of church-history, better
" informed than all the modern scribblers in Eu-
" rope, says ; Paphias (one of the apostle's dis-
" ciples) says this, that Peter, in his first Epistle,
" which he wrote from Rome, remembered
" Mark ; in this Epistle he figuratively called
" Rome Babylon, saying, the church elect which
" is in Babylon salutes you, and my son Mark f."
Well informed as Eusebius was, the R. appears
to have imagined, that a few corrections and
amendments would greatly tend to improve his
orthodoxy. In this, he might perhaps piously
design the edification of the faithful ; but in
writincc to Protestants, he ought to have recollect,
ed, that they are a species of heretics who have
A 3 always
* P, 176. f P. 177.
18 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
always spoken of the pious forgeries of the
Romish church with great want of reverence.
By consulting Eusebius again, he will find the
following translation of this passage tolerably
correct. " Moreover, Peter mentions Mark in
" his first epistle, which, as they say, w^as writ-
" ten at Rome. Peter himself intimates as
" much, calling Rome by a figure Babylon, in
" these w^ords, The church which is at Baby-
" Ion *," &c. These words are not, as he as-
serts, a quotation from Paphias ; but the senti-
ments of Eusebius. Nor does this historian de-
clare the epistle written at Rome ; he merely
mentions what w^as common report. When the
R. finds himself at leisure to take a more cor-
rect view of this passage, he may also look into-
the thirty-ninth chapter of the third book of the
same history, and he will find, that Paphias was^
not, as he has affirmed, a disciple of the a^
postles.
But profane history, he thinks, coincides with
his exposition of this part of the epistle of Peter.
*' Babylon, in Syria," says he, " was then in
" ruins, as Pliny and Strabo inform us ; and
" Babylon in Egypt was but a fort or castle f."
Had he been better acquainted with ancient his-
tory, he would perhaps have changed his opi-
nion. By consulting LucanJ, Philostratus ||,"
or
* Eccles. Hist. lib. 2. c. 15. f P. 177.
:j: Lib. I. V. 10. II Lib. i. c. 17,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. IS
or even Pliny himself *, he will find Babylon in
Syria mentioned, as a city then in existence.
The old city was indeed in ruins ; but that Se-
leucia upon the Tigris went by this name, he
might have known, with far fewer pretensions
to acquaintance with antiquity. Du Pin, a doc-
tor of his own church, who knew antiquity and
the scriptures better than all the Romish clergy
on this side of the Atlantic, and who had more
candour than generally falls to the lot of a Po-
pish polemic, says of the R.'s opinion, " This in-
" terpretation is false ; and it is more natural
" to say, that he wrote this epistle from Baby-
*' lont.''
But though the apostle Peter had been actually
at Rome, it by no means follows as a consequent,
that he was bishop of that See. Nothing indeed
can be more positive, respecting this point, than
the R.'s assertion. " There is as great a
" certainty," says he. '' of his having esta-
" blished his See at Rome, as that the scrip-
" tures are divinely inspired | ;" —
If the R. think it any advantage to his cause,
it will be granted, that Peter is called bishop
of Rome by some ancient writers. The most
ancient, however, who lived nearest the source
of tradition, never bestow upon him this title. Of
all the proofs which he has culled from the num-
A 3 berless
* Lib. 6. c. 26. f Biblioth. Patr. prelimin,
diss. 5cct. 5. :|: P. I -76.
20- POPERY CONDEMNED BY
berless quotations with which, he says, polemical
writers abound, there are only two from authors
who wrote before the fourth century. One of
these, Dorotheus, lived about the end of the
third ; and is said, by the R.'s great friend Bel-
larmine, to be full of fables. The other is Ireneus,
who, says he, " gives a catalogue of the Bi-
" shops of Rome down to Pope Eleutherius, his
own cotemporary in the year 176. He begins
with Peter and Paul, and says of Clement,
that he was the third from the apostles *.*'
Had the R. said, that Ireneus ought to have
begun with Peter and Paul, he w ould have ex-
pressed the sentiments of the Roman church.
But this father appears to have been a stranger
to Peter's particular relation to that See. These
apostles, he only says, founded the church, as a
re-examination of his language will shew him :
*' The blessed apostles, therefore, having found-
*^ ed and built the church, delivered the episcopal
** office to Linus, whom Paul has mentioned in
«' his epistles to Timothy. Anencletus succeeded
^' him ; after whom, in the third place from the
** apostles, Clemens had the bishopric allotted
« him."
According to this tradition, the apostle Paul
has as good a claim to the bishopric of Rome
as the apostle Peter ; since they are said to have
founded the See of Rome conjunctly. That
^ church
* P. 184.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 21
church would never indeed acknowledge him, as
Pope Paul the first ; but Eplphanius and Eusebius
have been more complaisant ; " Peter and
"Paul," says the former, "were the first at
" Rome, both bishops and apostles * :" and the
latter, " Alexander was the fifth in succession
" from Peter and Paul f." Both, therefore,
were bishops of Rome in the sense of these
writers ; and what this was, it is not difficult to
determine. They founded that See by convert-
ing men to the faith, and appointing the first
bishops. If the R. thinks them bishops in any
other respect, let him inform us, how Linus,
Cletus, and Clemens, were bishops of Rome,
during the life of the apostle Peter. Ruffi:ius,
in his preface to the Recognitions of Clemens,
says they were appointed by Peter, to prevent
interference Vv^ith the duties of his apostolic of-
fice ; and this, he assures us, was not his own,
but the common opinion. Had the R. only at-
tended to the quotation from Ireneus which he
has pressed into his service, he would have seen
the justness of this observation ; " The blessed
" apostles, therefore, having founded and built
" the church, delivered it into the hands of
" Linus," &c.
That Peter was a bishop, is acknowledged
by Protestants as well as Papists. His claim to
this title, however, did not originate in any par-
A 5 ticular
* riaeres. 7. f Hist. Eccles. lib. 4 c, i.
22 POP£RY CONDEMNED BY
ticular relation to the See of Rome. A su-
perior office includes an authority to discharge
all that are under it ; and upon this principle, in
the first epistle he styles himself a Presbyter or
elder *. But had he fixed himself at Rome, as bi-
shop of that See, he must have previously resign"
ed his apostolic commission, " Go ye into all the
" world, and preach the gospel to every crea-
*' ture." 1 hese primitive clergy were not so
far initiated into the doctrine of pluralities, as to
imagine the office of an apostle and a bishopric
compatible.
Should the R. say, that the apostle James was.
bishop of Jerusalem, he cannot plead in his be-
half '' universal and uninterrupted tradition.'*
A multitude of the Fathers m.ight be adduced as.
vouchers, that it was James, the brother of our
Lord. At present I will only produce his fa-
vourite Eusebius, who> he says, was better in-
formed than all the modern scribblers in Europe.
Perhaps, he can also shew us the origin of this
mistake about James the apostle. " James, the
" first bishop of Jerusalem, is in holy writ ho-
" noured with the title of the brother of Christ f.
** He is said to have been one of the seventy disci-
" pies of our Saviour, and also one of the Lord*s
" brethren. Ther&. were many beside the
'■^ twelve, who were called apostles by way of
^' imitation |."
But,
* Cb. 5. V. I. f Hist. Eccles. lib. 7. c. 19.
::|: Id. Lb. i. c. 12.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 23-
But, says the R. " it was then so well ascer-
" laincd, and so universally believed, that Rome
" was the apostolical . See, that all sectaries, as
" well as Catholics, acknowledged it *." By a
little acquaintance with the Fathers, he would
have learnt, that many other primitive churches
enjoyed the same title. In after times, indeed,
the church of Rome attempted to monopolize
this name, when, as the heiress of St. Peter, she
began to collect his patrimony ; but certainly,
there were some churches which possessed a
prix)r, and as undoubted a claim to ir. The R.
must allow, that Peter was bishop of Antioch
in the same sense as he was bishop of Rome, ar
least he is so termed by Eusebius f ; and the
former See was founded before the existence of
the latter. If Rome, then, be the mother church,
Antioch must be the grandmother, and the most
apostolic of the two^
When he writes again upon this subject, will
he inform us, who placed Peter in the See of
Rome ? Was he appointed by Christ ? Did
the apostles name him ? Did the people chtise
him? Or did he appoint himself? And,
when he is in the way ot answering queries, he
may likewise tell us, whether he resigned his of-
fice, or died bishop of Ronie.- - If he resigned,
the Pope is no more his successor ^an the-bishop
A G " • of
* P. iS8. -f Ignatius, (ihe second in succc-.^'on
thereafter, Peter), lib. 3. c ^5.
24) rorEKY CONDEMNhD BY
of Antioch. If he retained it, the church of
Rome was in a very unscriptural state. She
had too many heads for a church of Christ ,
and too few to correspond with the apostle
John's account of her, in the book of Revela-
tion.
CHAP. II.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE SUPREMACY, WHICH
THE R. HAS ASCRIBED TO THE APOSTLE
PETER.
1 HE church of Rome has v/ith great proprie-
ty supposed, that a body without a head mu^t
make a very awkward appearance. To give
the visible church, therefore, a respectable look
in the corporeal absence of Christ, she has pro-
vided him a vicegerent of a corresponding kind..
But, being aware of the aversion with which no-
velties in religion are viewed, she has palmed
this appointment upon the Saviour; . and at-
tempted to show from both scripture and the
Fathers, that the apostle Peter w^as the first ia
office. " Peter," says the R., " received from
" Clirist an authoritative pow^r over the whole
" visible church ;" And this doctrine, he far-
ther
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 25
ther assures, is " manifestly revealed in the New
" Testament*."
Were this assertion true, Protestants, in re-
jecting the plain truth of the scriptures, must
be heretics indeed. It must, however, be ac-
knowledged, that if we have been deficient in
faith, we have abounded in candour: we have
never failed to give the church of Rome due
praise for her wonderful acuteness, in " mani-
*' festly" observing what was never revealed.
Protestants have always believed the church
*"• built upon the foundation of the apostles and
" prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief
" corner-stone t ;" but they have been at a loss
to conceive, how the apostles and prophets were
built upon Peter. Of this the R. thinks the
words of Christ to that apostle a decisive proof;
'' Thou art Peter ; and upon this rock I will
" build my church, and the gates of hell shall
*' not prevail against it|.'' The apostle Paul, who
knew something of the basis of nhe church, has
assured us, that it is built upon the foundation
of the apostles and prophets. If the R. think
any thing else is meant by these words, than
that the church is established upon the testimony
which these persons gave concerning the Saviour,
I should hke to hear his opinion. Is it not, then,
rather unlucky forthe R.s Popish claim inbehalf of
thib apostle, that a part of the foundation of the
church
* P. 190% f Eph. il. 20, X Matth. xvi. 18,
26 rOPERT CONDEMNED BY
church has been provided many ages before his-
existence.
The R. indeed says, " If Christianity be
" founded on the apostles because they taught
*' the Christian religion, it must be founded
" in the first place on Peter, because he first
" of all men confessed Christ to be by na-
" ture the Son of the living God *.'* But
why does he overlook the prophets, in specifying
the foundation of the church ? It has been al-
ways a received opinion in the churchy that the
Christian religion, or the religion of Christ, was
published, in the v/orld, a few thousand years
before the days of the apostles : and had the R.
been as well acquainted with the scriptures as
he pretends, he would have also known, that
Peter's confession was merely the testimony
of his faith, concerning what the prophets had
taught. The first chapter of the epistle to the He-
brews will show him what views the church un-
der the Old Testament entertained about the
Sonship of Christ.
Should the R. still recur to Christ's words to
Peter, I have no objections at all to meet him
on that ground. Peter's excellent confession,
he must acknowledge, produced this declaration
of the Saviour. Upon what authority, then,
does he overlook the apostle's confession, and
fix upon his person as the basis of the church ;-
especially,
* P. 3- CO.
SCRIPTURE AXD THE FATHERS. 2T
especially, since the scriptures declare confession
to be the ground upon which it stands ? Can
he say, the church itself is called the pillar and
ground of the truth in any other respect, than
on account of her adherence to the truth of re-
ligion ?
To shew that Peter himself is intended, he
produces his translation, of the words of Christ,
" Thou art a rock, and upon this rock I will
" build my church * ;'* by w'hich he w^ould
wish his readers to believe, that, in both places
in the original text, the word signifying " rock'*
is the same. In the last, however, the expres-
sion is different ; and this plainly intimates, that
though Christ alluded to this apostle's name, his
expression respected something else than his
person. Though the Romish church view these
w^ords, as one of the principal proofs of Peter's
supremacy, the R. has not thought proper to
give them an extensive discussion. Might he
not, as in other eases, have appealed to " uni-
*' versal and uninterrupted tradition j" and in-
troduced a whole host of the Fathers, to confirm
his sense of them ? As it would be doing injus-
tice to the subject, entirely to overlook these
Popish tests of orthodoxy ; I will supply him
with a few of their observations on this passage
of scripture.
" This, therefore," says St Hilarius, " is the
" only
* P. 122.
28 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
*' only immoveable foundation, this is the only
" blessed rock of the faith which Peter confess-
" ed, Thou art the Chrht^ the Son of the living
" God'^r
** The Church,'* says St. Augustine, " is at
*' present assaulted by diverse trials, as with
" floods and storms, but it is not destroyed ;
•* because it is founded upon the rock whence
" Peter received his name ; for the rock is not
" named from Peter, but he from* the rock ; as
*' Christ is not so named from the Christian,
" but the Christian from him. On this account
" the Lord says, Upon this rock I ivill build my
" church ; because Peter had said. Thou art
" the Christy the Son of the living God, Upon
" this rock, therefore, says he, which thou
•• hast confessed, I will build my church ; for
" Christ is the rock upon which even Peter him-
" self was built t."
*' What," says the same author, " is the
*' meaning of these words. Upon this rock I
*' iiuHl build mij church ? It is, upon this faith,
•' upon this testimony, Thou art the Christy the
*' Son of the living Gcr/|."
*' When Christ called this confession, the
*' rock," says Basil of Seleucia, *' he named
" him who first made it, Peter ; giving him an
*• appellation which might be a token of his con-
'* fession :
* De Trmit. lib. 2. f Tract, i 24.
X Tiact. ic, in Ep. Joan.
SCRirXURE AND THE FATHERS. 29
** fession ; For truly, this confession is the rock
** of religion, the basis of salvation, the bulwark
*' of the faith, and the foundation of truth : for
'* ot/ier foundation can no man lay^ beside that
*' which is laidy which is Jesus Christ */'
" The first fruits or chief of the apostles,'*
says Modestus of Jerusalem, " was called Peter,
*' on account of the unshaken faith which he had
" in Christ, the rock f."
It might perhaps be gratifying to the R. to
hear the opinion of a pope, upon such a tender
point. I will therefore introduce him to a cha-
racter whom he ought highly to esteem, Pope
Gregory the Great. " Since it is not said,'*
says he, " in the scriptures, foundations, but in
*' the singular number, foundation ; none else
" can be meant, but the Lord himself |.*' —
" When the singular number is used in the
'* scriptures, in speaking of the rockjwho else
" is to be understood but Christ || r"
If the R. have any curiosity to hear more of
tradition and the fathers, a few dozens of addi-
tional quotations to the same purpose, are at hivs
service. All these primitive writers appear to
have been tinctured with Protestant heresy ; and
even the Church of Rome, in the days of Pope
Gregory the Great, had not learnt to explain
the scriptures with due Popish orthodoxy.
Put
* Horn. 25. f In Elblloth. Fhotii. Cod. 275.
:|: ?vToral. in Job. lib. 28. c. 9. |l Id. lib. 31. c, 34,
30 raPERY CONDEMNED BY
But Peter's supremacy, he imagines, maybe
learnt from many other expressions of Christ.
** To which of the apostles did Christ say, I will
*' give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven ?
" to which of the other apostles did he say, I
*' have prayed for thee, that thy faith should
*' not cease? which of them did he order after
" his conversion to confirm his brethren ? or to
'' which of them did he say, after exacting a
*' testimony of his love, Feed my lambs, rule
*' my sheep, feed my sheep * ?"
The R. has aeknov/ledged, that a certain de-
gree of government belongs to all the bishops of
the church ; but it is only in subordination to
the Chief Pastor f. Before this be granted, he
must prove the appointment of such an office in
the church. To establish this point, he says,
** To.v.'hich cf the apostles did Christ say, I v;ill
** give thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven r"
The passage of scripture to which he refers, is
in the 1 6th chapter of Matthew, " I will give
" unto thee,'* says the Saviour to Peter, '' the
" keys of the kingdom of heaven : and whatso-
*' ever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound
" in heaven ; and whatsoever thou shalt loose
*' en earth, shall be loosed in heaven.'* The
keys, and the power to bind and loose, are sy-
nonymous expressions ; and the latter, he will
scarcely deny, was given to all the apostles.
c« Verily
* P. 153. f P. 154.
SCRIPTURE AND TPIE FATHERS. S'l
*' Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall
'• bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven :
'* and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, shall
*' be loosed in heaven *.'' Re was indeed aware
of this little objection, and therefore he is will-
ing to give them a power to open and shut in
subordination to Peter. Bat he must prove his
premisses, before we admit his conclusion ; as
w^e have not yet granted him, that Peter was
chief pastor. He might as well say, If you will
allow that Peter was the head of the church, I
will prove his supremacy.
As he is apt upon occasions to complain of
the obscurity of the scriptures, we may see what
view his standard of orthodoxy, the Fathers, en-
tertained of these words of Christ.
*' As some things," says St. Augustine, " are
*' spoken, which may seem properly to belong
*' to the apostle Peter, and yet have not a clear
*' sense, but when thev are referred to the
*' church, as that is, I ivill give thee the keijs of
" the kingdom of heave7i\,^^
*' The church," says St. Jerome, *' is found-
" ed on all the apostles ; and all have received
** the keys of the kingdom of heaven \ and the-
" firmness of the church rests upon them equaU
- ly +."
But, says the R., " To which of the other
** apostles
* Matth. xviii. i8. f Enarratio in Psal. icS.
:j: Adv. Jovin. lib. i. c. 14.
S2 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" apostles did he say, I have prayed for thee,
" that thy faith should not cease ? Which of
" them did he order after his conversion to con-
" firm his brethren ?"
A plain statement of the transactions to which
he refers, will be sufficient to show, how little
reason he had to produce them as claims for su-
premacy. " And the Lord said, Simon, Simon,
** behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that
'* he may sift you as wheat ; but I have prayed
** for thee, that thy faith fail not : and when
" thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
'* And he said unto him. Lord, I am ready to
" go with thee both into prison, and to death.
" And he said, I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall
** not crow this day, before that thou shalt thrice
*' deny that thou knowest me *." Satan, it ap-
pears from these words, was about to take ad-
vantage of the sufferings of Christ, in order to
make an attack upon all the disciples. His prin-
cipal force, however, was to be directed against
Peter ; because he might imagine presumption
and cowardice pretty near akin ; and might hope
to depress his spirits, as much as he had excited
his arrogance. In consequence of this assault,
Vv'hen Christ was apprehended, the courage of
this apostle failed him ; and with the rest of the
disciples, he deserted his Master in the hour of
trial, and through the force of temptation reali-
sed
* Luke, xxil. 31* — 34.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 33
sed his prediction. If the faith of all the dis-
ciples was shaken on this mournful occasion,
Peter's was shattered in proportion to his former
presumption. Our Lord, therefore, shows the
sovereignty and riches of his grace even to back-
sliders, by assuring Peter, that though the ex-
ercise of his faith might terminate, still as a
principle it would remain in his heart, The R.
by his language, would seem to insinuate that
the faith of the other disciples had been entirely
destroyed. But the words of Christ afford no
just ground for such a conclusion. Though
Peter's apostacy rendered conversion necessary
for himself, he was not ordered to convert, but
merely to strengthen, his brethren. A candid
examination of the words of Christ, discovers
how much this apastle needed the assistance of
grace, and how appropriate the divine goodness
is ; but they do not afford the most distant hint
of his supremacy in the church.
But says the R., " To which of the apostles did
*' Christ say. Feed my lambs, rule my sheep, feed
" my sheep r" As the dispute is not so much
about being chief feeder, as chief ruler in the
church, he takes care to show, in his translation of
the words of Christ, that his address to Peter may
include the idea of government as well as pas-
ture. That the Greek word which signifies to
feed, denotes also to govern, will not be denied.
But whether docs the R, think, to feed sheep
or
34? POPERY CONDEMNEB BY
or to rule sheep Is the most natural idea ? A-
gainst his acceptation of the word in this place,
I can produce him the united wisdom of the
whole Romish church. The Council of Trent,
in all whose decisions, he says, he is a staunch
believer, have decreed, *' That no person shall
" dare or presume to reject the Vulgate, on any
" pretence whatever, in disputations * :" and
that translation teaches us, that the word in this
place signifies to feed. But though the R.'s
translation be granted to him, it will afford him
no proof of the supremacy of Peter. That a-
postle uses the same word in his apostolic direc-
tions to teachers in the church, " Rule the flock
" of God which is among you f." When the
R. quotes this part of scripture occasionally, he
is indeed attentive to translate it feed. For this
change of idea he can have no just reason, un-
less it originate in a conviction, that Peter, like
his successors in office, committed the feeding
to the inferior clergy, but reserved the govern-
ment in his own hands. I cannot conceive how
a direction, given indiscriminately to all teachers
in the church, can with any propriety be placed
as the basis of Peter's supremacy.
Should the R. say. If no supremacy were in-
tended for Peter, why did Christ give this di-
rection thrice to him., and not to the other dis-
ciples ? let me ask him, which of his apostles
had
* Stss. 4. f 1 Pet. V. 2.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 35
had denied his Lord thrice ? Peter had been
more forward than the rest in his professions of
love to Christ ; and his sin had been propor-
tioned to his presumption. Our Lord there-
fore reproves him indirectly, by inquiring
about the extent of his love : " Simon, son of
" Jonas, lovest thou me more than these * ?*'
Peter, now taught by his misconduct, would
make no extraordinary professions ; " Yea,
*' Lord," says he, " thou knowest that I love
*' thee.*' He had indeed displayed a contrary
conduct ; but he appeals to Christ, as the
searcher of hearts, respecting the present state
of his affections. Our Lord, therefore, shows
him, that he still numbered him among his dis-
ciples^, by assigning him a test for proving the
sincerity of his love, " Feed my sheep/'
As the R. appears, upon all occasions, great-
ly edified by the sayings of the Fathers, I will
produce him a few of their observations upon
this .knotty point.
'* Jesus," says Gregory Nazlanzen, " received
*' Peter again ; and by a triple interrogation
" and confession, healed his threefold abjura-
" tionf
*' The Lord recalled Peter," says Epiphanius,
*' after he had denied him ; and in opposition to
" his triple denial, he invited him to confession
*' thrice J."
" That
* John, XX!. 15. f Orat 59. t Hccres. 59. stct. i.
36 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" That Peter," says St. Ambrose, ** might re-
*' move the fault of his triple denial, he is as
" often interrogated by Christ, if he loved him.
" To this he replied. Thou knowest, Lord, that
'^ I love thee : this he said thrice, that he might
*' be thrice absolved *.'*
*' The apostle Peter," says St. Jerome, " by
*' his triple confession, expunged his threefold
" denial t."
To these quotations from the Fathers, many
more might be added, if necessary. But these
will suffice to show the R., how advantageously
the ancient writers of the church may be con-
sulted, even by Protestant heretics. When he
presumes to palm his own ignorance and the
quibbles of Papists upon antiquity, he ought to
remember, that imposition and detection are
sometimes pretty closely connected. These Fa-
thers, so far from inferring Peter's supremacy
from the words of the Saviour, have declared
them to be equally applicable to the other apos-
tles, and all the teachers in the church. '* When
*' Christ/' says St. Augustine, '' said to Peter, he
*' said to all, Feed my sheep J."
*' These sheep," says St. Ambrose, " not
** only Peter received ; but he received them
*' with us, and we received them with him ||."
From these quotations, the novelty of the R.'s
doctrine
* De Sacrament, lib. 2. c. 7. f Ep. 149. ad Marcellam.
X De Agone Christi, c. 3c. || De Dignitat. Sacerdot. c. 2.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 37
doctrine is sufficiently obvious. But', should he
still think that Peter was appointed chief ruler
and feeder of the whole flock, can he shew us
where Christ, in giving him the government of
the lambs and sheep, subjected to him likewise
the rams ?
But farther, says the R., " Peter did assert
" his supremacy in the first Council ; he told
*' the apostles there present, that they knew
" that informer times God had made choice oj
'' him amongst them^ that by his mouth the nations
S
hould hear the faith and believe
The R. must be an acute reasoner indeed,
since he can draw a conclusion for Peter's su-
premacy over the whole visible church, from
his being the first whom God employed to
preach the gospel among the heathen. Might
not St. Anthony, of pious memory, upon the
same principle, claim the supremacy over the
fishes, because he first preached the gospel to
them, and converted a great multitude ? The
scope of Peter's language, according to the R,,
is plainly this, and it is certainly as good as the
reasoning of many of his successors, God made
use of me to preach the gospel among the hea-
then first, and therefore it is plain, that 1 am
possessed of supremacy over the whole visible
church, of both Jews and Gentiles.
In connection with this, he v^ould try to per-
B suade
* P. 162.
38 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
Fuade us that the other apostles acknowledged
his title. " The apostles," says he, " inva-
*' riably speak of Peter in the first place, and
*' Introduce him speaking upon every public
*• occasion. If Mr Stanser has not seen it, it is
*' because he has not read the New Testament
" attentively, if at all *."
"Much praise is without doubt due to the R,
for being a great reader of the New Testament.
He evidently appears to have been very studious ;
many times he appears to have outsitten the
sun, and read his Nevv^ Testament in the dark.
To expose Mr Stanser's ignorance of the scrip-
tures, and to shew the acuteness and candour of
the R.'s observation, it will be only requisite to
let the apostles speak for themselves.
**= Whether Paul, or ApoUos, or Peter," &c.
1 Cor. iii. 22. — " And when James, and Peter,
'' and John, who seemed to be pillars," &c.
Gal. ii. 9.
Though Paul, in neither of these places, has
thought fit to speak of Peter in the first place,
the R. thinks, that by visiting him at Jerusalem,
he acknowledged his supremacy. This he con-
siders as of so great importance, that he men-
tions it thrice ; and lest his readers should not
see supremacy taught in this visit, he reminds
them that the original words may signify to in-
nuire of Peter, as well as to see him. When
he
SCIllFl URE AND THE FATHERS. 39
he was so anxious to give them an accurate
knowledge of scripture, he might have also told
them, that the phrase may be translated to get
acquainted with Peter. But granting that Paul
came to inquire of Peter, and even, if the R.
please, to be Instructed in the gospel, that is
^till at a considerable distance from owning his
supremacy.
In the Council of Jerusalem, mentioned in
the fifteenth chapter of the Acts, the R. thinks
he has found another strong proof of the su-
premacy of Peter. This Council was assembled
to decide, whether the Gentile converts should
be circumcised, and keep the law of Moses.
" The controversy," says he, " was brought
" before the apostles and priests at Jerusalem,
" and there, with the concurrence of the chief
" pastor Peter, it vi'as finally settled *." This
he considers as a plain statement of facts ; and
he charges Mr Stanser with misrepresentation
in saying, that the controversy was discussed by
the apostles and elders, and by them decided :
'' If he had said," says the R., ^' that Peter's
" decision had been adopted by the Council,
" he would have told us what is there rela-
« tedV
A wise man has judiciously observed, that
much study is a weariness to the flesh. The
reader must not therefore be surprised, though
B 2 the
* P. 71. f P. 166.
•40 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the R. make some little slips^ when fatigued
with immense poring upon his New Testament.
It happened to be the decision of James which
the Council followed ; but the best of people
may be mistaken about a name. Luke has re-
corded his speech immediately after Peter's ; so
that he might very naturally ascribe the whole
to the latter, particularly if he was reading in
the dark. Peter had declared his opinion, that
it was wrong to subject these converts to the ce-
remonial law. James, however, thought, that
'as it had been usual for a long time to read the
books of Moses every Sabbath in the synagogues,
it would not be amiss to give them some gene-
ral directions how to avoid offending the Jewish
brethren : " Wherefore," says he, *' I decide
*' that we trouble not them who, from among
*' the Gentiles, are turned to God : but that
*' we write unto them, that they abstain from
" pollutions of images, and from fornication,
" and from things strangled, and from blood.
** — Then pleased it the apostles and elders,
" with the whole church," &c. *
The R. next attempts to produce? Peter exer-
cising his official duty as supreme head of the
church. " The apostle," says he, " directs
" the Episcopal pastors of the provinces of
*• Fontus, Galatia, Capadocia, Asia, and By-
*'' tliinia, to whom his letter is addressed, to
" feed
* Acts, XV. 19. — 22.
SCRIPTURE AND TflE FATHERS. 41
" feed the respective portions of the flock over
** which they presided, to en um'm pohnnion^ not
*' through compunction, but wiUingly ; not in
'* view of fihhy lucre, but chearfuUy ; not to
*' lord it over the inferior clergy, but in their
*' own conduct to set an example of all Chris-
*' tian virtues to the flock *."
This epistle, he would wish us to believe, is
addressed to the Episcopal pastors in these pro-
vinces. If he had read this part of his New
Testament at all, he would have seen that it was
written to the church. Had he even considered
the quotation to which he alludes in defence of
his doctrine, it would have rectified his mistake :
'* The elders who are among you I exhort.'*
No other part of the epistle is peculiarly appli-
cable to the clergy, except the beginning of the
third chapter, which the R. may judge particu-
larly appropriate to the state of these in the Ro-
mish church : " Likewise, ye wives, be in sub-
'^ jection to your own husbands."
The passage which he quotes for illustrating
the supremacy of Peter, is in his first epistle, at
the beginning of the fifth chapter. Though I
have an aversion to introduce scraps of foreign
languages into a publication intended for com-
mon readers, I cannot avoid producing it, as it is
transcribed by the R. ; because he says he has gi-
ven it in this form for the information of his read-
B 3 ers ^
* P. 154.
42 POPERY COXDEMNliB EY
ers ; and It would be a pity to lose any informa-
tion on such a precious subject. '' I myself a
" priest," sumpreshuteros^ " exhort the priests
*' who are amongst you," — tons preshuterous en
" iwiin parakalo . . . ." feed the flock of God
" which is amongst you ;" — poimenate to en umin
" poimnion ..." superintending," — ephcopoiintes:
''- not domineering over the Clergy." kataku-
"■ rieiientes ion klercn *."
Granting the R. all the supremacy which this
passage can afford him, it amounts to no more
than what the apostle Paul exercised. " From
*' Miletus he sent to Ephesus, and called the
'' eiders of the church, and said unto them,
" Take heed, therefore, unto yourselves, and
*' to all the flock over which the Koly Ghost
" hath made you bishops, to feed the church
" of God, which he hath purchased whh his
'* own blood f."
I cannot bid adieu to this part of his proof,
without complimenting him upon his extensive
knowledge of Greek j and also upon the accu-
racy of his quotation. In his Greek, with a
true Popish spirit, he has made Peter exhort the
priests to domineer. In his version, he trans-
lates ion kleron the clergy j or, as he farther
explains it in the same page, the inferior clergy.
Formerly the church considered the proper
meaning of this word to be, a lot or an inherit-
ance=
* P. 154. 7 Acts, XX. 17. — 28.
SCRIPrURE AND THE FATHERS. 43
ance. As he has discovered a new signification,
he will permit me to try its merit, by applying
it to other parts of scripture where the same
word is used.
Acts, i. 26. " And they gave forth their
" clergy ; and the clergy fell on Matthias ; and
" he was numbered with the eleven apostles."
Acts, xxvi. 18. " That they may receive the
*' forgiveness of sins, and clergy among them
*' who are sanctified."
Col. i. 12. '' Giving thanks to the Father,
" who hath made us meet for the portion of
" the clergy of the saints in light."
By these the R. will perceive, that new in-
ventions and common sense do not always har-
monize. In defence of the extraneous meaning-
I, '
which he has affixed to this word, he can pro-
duce no parallel, either from the classics, the
Septuagint, the New Testament, or any otlier
Hellenistic writing. His only authority is the
Vulgate, which, in this place, puts language in
the mouth of the apostle Peter v>'hich he never
expressed. '• Thus," to use his own language
in speaking of Mr Stanser's version of this
apostle's words, '• the unlearned are duped and
'' misled by arbitrary versions."
It will be admitted, that Peter is exhibited in
scripture as among the m^ost active of the
apostles, and much engaged in the management
of public business in the church. But the
B 4 anostl:?
4-4 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
apostle Paul did not, for these reasons, suppose
him possessed of any supremacy. He merely
classes him with James and John, who, he says,
seemed to be pillars *.
If the R. consider it as of any importance to
his cause, it will be also granted, that Peter is
called the chief and prince of the apostles by
some of the Fathers. But it is evident that they
never intended, by these titles, to ascribe to him
supremacy. They meant them merely as tokens
of that respect which they imagined due to his
character. Of this their own language will be
the best illustration.
^' As some things," says St. Augustine,
*' are spoken, which may seem properly to be-
'* long to the apostle Peter, and yet have not a
" clear sense but when referred to the church,
*^ (of which he is acknovvledged to have repre-
-' seated the person in a figure, because of the
*' primacy which he had among the apostles),
'* as that is, I will give tkee the keys of the king"
*' dom of heaven ; and if there be any like, so
" Judas sustains, after a certaia manner, the
*' person of the Jews, the enemies of Christ f."
And says Prosper his disciple, " Judas carried
" the primacy of the enemies of Christ |."
The R., therefore, must not expect to esta-
blish Peter's supremacy from these expressions
of
* Gal. ii. 9. f Enarratio in Psal. cviii.
:j; In eod. loc.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 45
of the Fathers, till he have previously proven
the authoritative primacy of Judas.
Before he write again upon this subject, I
would advise him to extend his acquaintance
with these ancient writers. They cannot be too
often consulted by a person who wishes to at-
tain just views of Popish principles. At the
same time I would warn him, in reading them,
to exercise great prudence and caution. Though
the fathers lived long before the days of Luther,
(whose very name is an abomination to the R.),
and therefore could derive none of their opi-
nions from him, they appear considerably tinged
with the sam.e principles. If he would read
them, then, like a true Papist, he must first
lay it down as a principle, that all the clerical
quackery of the Romish Church is a part of the
true religion, and afterwards pick out detached
sentences from their writings for his proofs ;
for, if he attend to the scope of their reason-
ings, he will insensibly becom.e, like other Pro-
testants, " an innovator and a pretended re-
^^ former."
B5 CHAP.
46 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
CHAP. III.
A REFUTATION OF THE SPIRITUAL SUPREMA-
CY WHICH THE R. HAS ASCRIBED TO THE
POPE.
1 HE reason why the Romish church contends
so strenuously for Peter's supremacy, is given,
in the 176th page of the Remarks: " Peter
*' transmitted his authority to feed Christ's
*' flock to his successor. For this was an offi-
*' cial authority, not a personnl quality, and-
" official authority is always invested in the law-
*' ful successor." The R. accordingly endea-
vours to prove, that the Pope of Rome *, as the
lawful successor of Peter, now possesses his su-
premacy. This apostle, I have already shown,
possessed no such authority in the church ; and
therefpre the Pope's claims must be v/ithout.
foundation. As the R. has, however, advanced
many pretended proofs of this point, it may not
be amiss to afford them an examination.
Though Peter had enjoyed all the supremacy
for which the R. contends, it by no means fol-
lows, that the head of the Romish See inherits
his
* The term Pope was formerly a title oF respect given
indiscriminately to any eminent clergyman., and r.ot eit ail
pe?v^^?r to the head of the Romish See.
SCRirXUKE AND THE FATHERS. 47
his prerogative. It has been fcrrnerly shown,
that Peter was not bishop of Rome in the sense
of the R. ; and therefore the Pope has not even
such a good claim to the supremacy as the bi-
shop of Aniioch. Still I will allow supremacy
to Peter's successor at Rome, if he only tell us
his name. Strange^as it may appear to the
reader, this Church, which knows so very posi-
tively who was the first bishop, cannot tell who
w-as his successor. Some of the Fathers name
one, and som^e another ; and thus supremacy is
lost, by being entrusted to the care of tradition,
that excellent standard of Popish belief. Nor
is the succession of some cf the succeedino;
Popes much better ascertained.
But though there was no difficuky about the
succession, there is another which cannot be
easily solved. It is generally agreed, that there
were several successive bishops cf Rome, du-
ring the life of the apostl^ Peter. Can the R.
then inform us, who at this time possessed tlie
supremacy ? If it v/as retained by Peter, it could
be no part of the official authority of the bishop
of Rome ; for that is received at ordination.
If he resigned it, he subjected himself and all
the apostles of Christ to the Pope, and placed
a higher office in the church under the ccntroul
of one which is inferior.
Let us now attend to the proofs of supre-
B 6 macy
4 5 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
macy which the R. has adduced in behalf of
the bishop of Rome.
" The Roman See," says he, " was always
" considered as the first See in the world, both
" by Greeks and Latins *." Though this as-
sertion were true, still precedence is no proof
of supremacy. After allowing the bishop of
Rome the precedence in the church, it will not
be difficult to show, that neither he nor his
bishopric possessed any other authority than what
they derived from their local situation at the
chief seat of government in the empire, and
from their preserving the purity of the faith
longer than many other parts of the church.
The reader may already observe a change in
the R.'s language. Supremacy, he formerly
told us, is an official authority, and consequent-
ly something which belongs to Peter's lawful
successor ; now he extends it to the See of
Rome. But he ought first to prove, that the
latter, as well as the former, is Peter's lawful
successor ; because he himself has said, " offi-
** cial authority is always invested in the lawful
*• successor." Though the church of Rome
has for many centuries claimed a supremacy, its
members neither agree in what it consists, nor
to whom it belongs. As the reader ntay be cu-
rious to know something of this part of the
subject, I will present him with the opinions of
some
* P. 184.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 49
some Popish writers. If the R. think I do the
church of Rome injustice, he may object to the
authorities produced. At the same time the
reader will remember, that the present discus-
sion respects only the authority claimed by the
Romish church in spirituals.
Pope Martin V., in the instructions given to
a nuncio sent by him to Constantinople, assumed
the following titles : " The most holy, and the
" most blessed, who is invested with heavenly
" power, who is Lord on earth, the successor
" of Peter, the Christ or the anointed of the
" Lord, the Lord of the universe, the father
*' of kings, the light of the world, the sove-
'* reign pontiff, Pope Martin *."
Clement VII., with his cardinals, writing to
Charles VI., says, " As there is but one God
*' in the heavens, so there cannot, nor ought to
*' be of right, but one God upon earth f."
Bellarmine asserts, that all the names which
are given to Christ, should be ascribed likewise
to the Pope | ; and says he farther, " If the
'■ Pope should commend vice, and prohibit vir-
'' tue, the Church would be bound to beheve
*' vice good, and virtue evil, unless she would
" sin against conscience ||."
Nor does the canon-law speak of Popes in
less
* Raynold. ad Ann. 1422. f Froisard. tono. 3.
f. 147. % De Cone. lib. 2. c. 17. || De Pent,
Rom. lib. 4. c. 5.
50 POPERY CONDEMNED Et
less exalted strains. " It is evident that the
'' Pope, who is called God by Constantine, can
" neither be bound nor loosed by any secular
*' power ; for it is manifest that a god cannot
" be judged by men *."
To these a multitude of testimonies might be
added, in which- he is called " the Lord our
*' God the Pope, another God upon earth, the
" King of Kings and Lord of Lords;*' and in
which it is said, " that he is more than God ;
'' and that his power is greater than all created
" authority, and reaches to things in heaven,
-' earth, and hell/'
On the contrary, the Council of Constance
declared : " This Council, being lawfully as-
" sembled in name of the Holy Ghost, which
" constituted the General Council, and repre-
*' sented the whole Cathohc Church, had its
" powers immediately from Jesus Christ ; and
'* that every person^ of zvhaiever state or dignity^
" even the Pope himself is obliged to obey it, in
*' what concerns the faith, the extirpation of
'' schism, and the general reformation in its
" head and members !•"
The R. appears to have embraced an opinicn-
different from both. According to his fust po-
sition, he maintains the supremacy of the Pope ;
but he does not concede to him so nuich power
as some who have preceded him, in dtfming this
point :
* I:i^t.c6. f. -. ■' Dii Pin Hist. Eccles. Cent. 15.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 51
])oliU : for says he, " 'Tis a manifest absurdity
'• to pretend that a Pope out of Council is greater
" than himself united with the body of Pastors
'' in Council, an absurdity which no Catholic
" ever believed or asserted *."
In one point, however, all are agreed, tiiat
supreme authority is lodged somewhere in tlic
Church of Rome. The person who believes
tliis, must not indeed be very scrupulous about
the foundation of his faith. A few passages from
the Fathers, perverted or misunderstood, and
forged decrees of the Councils, are the only
proofs which Papists have ever been able to pro-
duce ; as may be seen in the specimen exhibited
by the R.
'' That the Popes in the first ages of Chris-
'' tianity,'* says he, " did exercise their jurisdic-
*' tion, and that the Greeks and Asiatics did
• submit to it, .... we have the testimony of
• all early writers on the subject of Church-
" History."
'• St. Ignatius, a disciple of St. Peter, in his
" Epistle to the Romans, marks the pre-emi-
" nence of that See. His letter is thus addres^-
" ed : " To the beloved Church which is en-
'• lightened by the will of him who ordaineth all
" things, which are according to the charity of
• J. Chribt our God, which presides in the
' country of the Romans worthy of God, most
'* adorned.
52 POPERY CCNDEMN^ED BY
*' adorned, justly happy, most commended, fit-
** ly regulated and governed, most chaste and
'* presiding in charity *."
No Protestant ever denied that the Romish
Church presided in the country of the Romans,
though many have disbelieved her presiding in
charity. With some reason, they have imagin-
ed the charity of the Romish Church like the
tender-mercies of the wicked ; and have always
liked the theory of it much better than the prac-
tice. But since Ignatius has ascribed to her a
presidency in the country of the Romans and in
charity, we will not object to his doctrine at
present. It is only when she claims a presidency
over the whole visible church, that Protestants
oppose her.
The R.'s next proof is from Ireneus : " We
" confound all those who, in whatever manner,
*' whether through self-love, vain glory, blind-
*' ness or unsound doctrine, collect what they
*' ought not, by indicating to them the faith of
*' the greatest, the most ancient, and best-known
" Church, founded at Rome by the two most
" glorious apostles, Peter and Paul ; and that
*' tradition. which it has from them, and is come
*' to us by the succession of bishops. 'Tis ne-
" cessary that every church should agree with
'* this, on account of its more powerful princi-
" pality. That is the faithful, who are in all-
places,
* P. 196.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 53
" places, in which Church the tradition, which
** is from the apostles, is always preserved by
*' thcsj who are every where faithful *."
A littk' attention to the scope of Ireneus' rea-
soning will help us to ascertain the meaning of
these words.
The Vaientinians, at this time, pestered the
church with many absurd opinions. These they
did not pretend to derive from scripture, but,
like the Romish Church in many other cases,
deciuced them from w^hat they affirmed to be a-
postoiic tradition. The design of Ireneus is,
therefore, to show, that the pretensions of these
heretics were entirely without foundation, as
no such traditions had been left by the apostles.
In confirmation of this, he appeals to the belief
of the Church of Rome, founded by apostles ;
to w^hich, on account of its being at the seat of
government, Christians from all the surrounding
quarters were daily resorting ; so that, had such
traditions ever existed, they must have been
known there. The " more pov/eriul principa-
'' lity," then, is not of the Church, but of the
State ; and the necessity under which Christians
were of resorting to Rome, was not to learn a-
postolic tradition, but to transact their own busi-
ness. Of this the last part of the R.'s quotation
is a sufficient proof. Ireneus, instead of saying,
that the faithful must come to Rome to learn
the
* P. 196.
5'^ ?0?ERY CONDEMNED EY
the traditions of the apostles, assures us, that the
preservation of these in that See, proceeds from
the resort of such persons from other parts of
the church ; " In which Church, the tradition
** which is from the apostles is always preserved
" by those who are every where faithful."
Before the R. could produce these words as
a proof of supremacy, it was necessary for him,
not only lo overlook the scope of Ireneus, but
to commit an open violation upon the most
simple rules of grammatical construction, A
view of the last sentence of his quotation, will
discover to a person who understands no Latin,
that the ideas of either Ireneus or the R. have
been verv confused. For the satisfaction of the
reader, 1 wall produce the words of this Father,
with a literal translation j by which he may form
a judgement of the R.'s candour and accuracy.
" Ad banc Ecclesiam, propter potentiorem prin-
" cipalitatem, necesse est omnem conveniTe Ec-
*' clesiam, i. e. eos qui sunt undique fideles:
" In qua semper ab his qui sunt undique, con-
*' servata est ea quse est ab apostolis traditio '*.'^
*' To this Church, on account of its more pcwer-
" ful principality, every Church, that is, the
" surrounding faithful, are under a necessity of
*' resorting ; in which (Church) that tradition
*' which is from the apostles has always been
*' preserved by those who are around," It re-
quires
* Lib. 3. c. 3.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 55
quires only a superficial acquaintance with the
Latin language to know, that though " cum
*' hac ccclesia convenire'^ may signify " to a-
" gree with this church," " ad hanc ecclesiam
" convenire," the phrase used by Ireneus, can
never be taken in that acceptation.
But to show that the words of Ireneus do not
aflord even the shadow of a proof for the supre-
macy claimed by the Church of Rome, I will
suppose, that the faithful must have recourse to
it, on account of its more powerful principality,
as the R. would wish us to believe. This can
mean nothing more, than that the suburbicary
churches, under the jurisdiction of that See,
ought to submit to its authority. In confirma-
tion of this, I might refer to the sixth canon of
the Council of Nice, v^hich limits the authority
of the bishop of Rome to the suburbicary re-
gions. The R. has indeed attempted to pro-
duce it, with the assistance of a little Popish for-
gery, as a proof of the supremacy of the Ro-
mish church ; with what propriety, a plain state-
ment of facts will discover.
The design of this canon was to secure to the
great Sees the authority which they had acquired
over the surrounding provinces. The words of
it are ; " Let the ancient custom continue in E-
" SyP^5 Lybia,' and Pentapolis ; that the bishop
" of Alexandria have the power of all these ;
" because this is the custom or manner of the
" bishop
56 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" bishop of Rome." From these words, an
impartial reader would conclude, that the cus-
tom of the Romish Church was adopted by the
Council as a pattern by which the other Sees
ought to be regulated. But the R. says, " These
" words can bear no other sense but this, that
*' 'twas the custom of the Bishop of Rome to
*• invest the Bishop of Alexandria with a juris-
*' diction over these provinces *." The follow-
ing words of the canon sufficiently illustrate the
absurdity of this explanation. It is there added,
*' that the honour or rights of the Church of
*' Antioch and the other provinces, are likewise
*' to be preserved ; it being always understood,
*' that these do not interfere with the privileges
*' of the metropolitan bishop." Will the R.
then inform us, if it was the custom of the bi-
shop of Rome to share his authority with these
also ; and how the Council, in fixing the privi-
leges of these churches, secured the rights of
metropolitan bishops, without hinting at a more
extensive supremacy ?
Perhaps he does not know, that his sense of
this canon is opposed by the Fathers. I will,
therefore, introduce him to Rufinus, an Italian
clergyman, who lived a short time after the
Council of Nice, and therefore ought to know
both the meaning of this canon, and the ancient
practice of the Church of Rome, as well as the R.
Of
* P. 192.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 57
Of both, he has given the following account
in his Ecclesiastical History : " Let the ancient
custom be preserved in Alexandria, as in the
city of Rome ; that the Bishop of Egypt, like
the Bishop of Rome, have the care of the
" suburbicary cUurches *."
This testimony of Rufinus the R. has thought
fit to overlook entirelv ; but to shovi^ that he has
given the genuine meaning of the canon, he ap-
peals to the Council of Chalcedon, where he
thinks a complete confirmation of it may be
found ; " The commencement of this canon of
the .Council of Nice," says he, " does not
appear in printed books ; but 'tis given by a
Council of equal authority, that of Chalce-
don, in 451. 'Tis thus cited in the 16th
action by the Bishop Paschasius : The Roman
Church had always this primacy. Let the old
custom continue^ that the Bishop of Alexandria^
** &c. After this 6th canon of the Council of
" Nice was read, the judges said ; We consider
"•' that all primacy and chief honour according to
'^ the canons he reserved to the beloved of God^
" the Archbishop of old Rome f."
The R. must have judged his readers very
ignorant of Church-history indeed, when he
ventured even to mention the Council of Chal-
cedon. When he said, that the canon was cited
in this form by Paschasius, why did he not add,
that
* Lib. I. c. 6. f P. 192.
58 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
that it was also received by the Council ?
Though the Pope's legates produced it in this
form, the Council were far from receiving it as
genuine. On the contrary, the canons of this
very Council have completely destroyed all Po-
pish claims of supremacy ; as a short view of
that part of their transactions to which the R,
refers will completely show.
The bishop of Rome, by residing at the seat
of government, had acquired considerable in-
fluence. On this account, a certain degree of
deference had been generally paid him by the
surrounding bishops. In course of time, this
respect began to be viewed as an acknowledge-
ment of his superiority ; and he had subjected
the neighbouring Sees to his jurisdiction. But,
in extending his authority, he met with a for-
midable opponent in the bishop of Constanti-
nople. When that city was made the head of
the empire, the latter employed his influence to
increase the power of his See ; and, by the
time in which the Council of Chalcedon con-
vened, he had succeeded so far as to extend his
jurisdiction over the Patriarchate of Aniioch.
This success, he was conscious, had proceeded
only from his influence at court ; and therefore,
though custom had for a considerable time sane-
o
tioned his -authority, he was desirous of placing
it upon a more stable basis. To efi:'ectuate this
purpose, application was made to the Council
by
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 59
by his archdeacon Aetius, for a confirmation of
his privileges. The members of the Council,
jealous of the growing power of the Pope, and
w^anting, as some of them openly declared, a
protector equally powerful, to secure them
against his encroachments, complied with the
request of Aetius. The consequence was, the
28th canon of the Council of Chalcedon. By
this, all the privileges enjoyed by the bishop of
Rome were granted likewise to the bishop or
Constantinople, with the exception only of pre-
cedency ; so that the boasted supremacy of the
Romish Church is thus reduced to a mere pri-
macy of order. So far were the 630 bishops,
who composed that Council, from acknowledg-
ing the supremacy of Peter as the origin of the
rights claimed by the Pope, that they declare
them to have been granted solely in considera-
tion of the dignity of the city of Rome ;
*' Whereas the See of old Rome," say they,
*' hath been, not undeservedly, distinguished by
*' the Fathers with some privileges, because that
*' city was the seat of the empire ; the Fathers of
" Constantinople were prompted by the same
" motive to distinguish the most holy See of
" new Rome with equal privileges ; thinking it
*'■ fit, that the city which they saw honoured
*' with the empire and the senate, and equal in
" every civil privilege to old Rome, should be
" equalled
60 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' equalled to her also in ecclesiastical mat-
*' ters*/'
Such a decree, the reader may easily conceive,
would not be permitted to pass without opposi-
tion from the Pope's legates, who attended the
Council. When it was at first proposed, they
withdrew, declaring that they had no instruc-
tions respecting such a point. They expected
that such a number of the bishops would fol-
low their example, as might prevent the rest
from proceeding farther at present ; but they
had the mortification to find themselves the only
persons who retired.
On the day following, Paschasinus, one of
the legates, said, that some regulations, he un-
derstood, had been made yesterday, which he
apprehended to be repugnant to the canons, and
inconsistent with the peace of the church, and
therefore requested they should be read, as they
were made in their absence. To this Aetius
replied, that if they were absent, it was their
own fault, since he had entreated, and even
pressed them to stay. The canon, however,
was read, with the subscription of all the bi-
shops. Lucentius, the other legate, then insist-
ed, that the bishops had been forced to sub-
scribe, and had not done it freely. The bishops
immediately exclaimed, that no force had been
used ; but, on the contrary, what they had
done
* Concil. torn. 4. p. 838.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 6i
done was entirely their own choice. All ground
of exception to the decree upon this head being
thus removed, the legates next declared it re-
pugnant to the sixth canon of the Council oF
Nice ; and Paschasinus produced it as quoted
by the R. " The Roman Church had always
" this primacy," &c. This was evidently a for-
gery, trumped up for the occasion j and accord-
ingly it has never been admitted into the best
translations of these canons, nor even by Diony-
sius Exiguus into his Roman Code.
The R. has attempted to tread in the steps ci'
Paschasinus ; but the same bad success seems to
attend his pious exertions. When he says, " the
" commencement of this canon is given by the
" Council of Chalcedon,'* his assertion is utter-
ly inconsistent with the whole proceedings of
that venerable body. No sooner had Aetius pro-
duced a true copy of this canon, than these bi-
shops declared the present decree to be in no re-
spects repugnant to the decisions of the Council
of Nice. The commissioners then published the
result, in which it was declared, that though the
bishop of Constantinople possessed the same
power as the bishop of Rome, the preference
belonged to the latter, in point of precedence.
From the whole of this transaction it appears,
that the ancient bishops of Rome were ignorant
of the divine right to the supremacy, which more
modern advocates have modestly advanced in
C ' their
62 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
their behalf. The legates, at this Council, never
pretended to derive the rights of the Church
from St. Peter ; they carried their claims no
higher than the Council of Nice ; And even the
Pope himself did not know with what supreme
authority St. Peter had invested him. His op-
position to this decree of the Council of Chalce-
don, he informed the emperor Marcian, pro-
ceeded from its infringing upon the canons of
Nice : " Far be it from me," says he, " to envy
*' the See of Constantinople its due lustre ; but
'• as the decree, lately enacted in favour of that
** See, is an open violation of the canons of
*' Nice, and as it is incumbent on me to watch
*' and see, that the decrees of that great and ve-
'* nerable assembly be punctually observed, I
'' should think myself guilty of an unpardonable
** crime, should I, upon any consideration, con-
*' nive at the least transgression of these sacred
** lavv^s ; laws of eternal authority, which no
•' Council, however numerous, can ever abro-
•' gate or annul *.*'
The R. next introduces the prelates of the
Council of Constantinople acknowledging the
tUpremacy of Pope Damasus in a letter to him ;
in \^ hich, says he, they state, " That, in conse-
'* quence of his commandment by letters sent to
*' the emperor Theodosius, they had assembled
*• at Constantinople.'' " Would these prelates,"
he
* Pcpe Leo Ep. 78. 79.
SCRIITURL AND IHE FATHERS. 63
he adds, " say they were commanded by the
'* Pope, if they acknowledged no authority in
'' him * ?'*
This is another specimen of the R.'s candour
and accurate acquaintance with antiquity. If he
can produce one ancient author who affirms, that
the emperor called this Council at the command-
ment of the Pope, I will agree to his assertion.
In the mean time, let me refer him to a few au-
thors who have given a very different account.
According to Socrates Scholasticus t and So-
zomen J, this Council was called by the emperor
alone. Even Theodoret, whom the R. has quo-
ted in proof of his assertion, affirms the sami
thing ||. This he would have seen, had he at-
tended more to the language of that historian,
and less to these Popish notes which have been
added to him to pervert his meaning. If he look
also into the letter, which the bishops of that
Council wrote to the emperor, he will find them
referring to his mandate, as the cause of their
meeting. Should he still refer to his quotation
from the bishops' letter to pope Damasus, re-
specting the summons which they had received
to meet at Rome, I must tell him, that he has
reversed their language. In my copy of it by
Binius, as zealous a Papist as the R., these bi-
shops say, " that Damasus summoned them to
C 2 " meet
* P. 193. f Kist. Eccles. Lib. 5. c. 8.
1 Lib. 7. c. 7. II Lib. 5. c. 6.
64! POPIRY CO^'DEIVI^■ED BY
" meet there, in virtue of the emperor's let-
'' ters *." After consulting all these ancient
records, he may turn his attention to more mo-
dern writers ; and among these he will find Ri-
cherius, a learned Papist, asserting, in his His-
tory of the Councils, that Theodosius called this
Council solely by his own authority f. Or he
may consult Christianus Lupus, who has proven
the same fact |.
Equally unfounded is the R,'s assertion re-
f pecting the calling of Councils : " A general
*' Council is not celebrated without the Pope's
' concurrence and approbation, never was, nor
'' ever will be ||."
What may occur in future, I will not presume
to determine ; but if we may judge from the
past, the R. is no prophet. He will allow the
iirst Council of Nice to have been general ; and
that was called by the emperor. Of this fact we
are assured by Eusebius in his Life of Constan-
tine §. The same thing is asserted by the mem-
bers of that Council in their letter to the Egyp-
tian bishops. If he think that these were false
witnesses, the testimony of the emperor himself,
in his speech to that Council, can be added,
" When, contrary to all expectations," says hg
to the bishops, " I was informed of your disa-
•' greement, I considered it as a report which
' " oucrht
o
* Apud Bin. p. 539. f Lib. i. c. 5. sect. i. 2.
Z Notce in Can. 1.2. 1| P. 73- § Lib. 3. c. 6.
SCRIPTURE AND Tiii: yATIIERS. 60
*' ought not to be neglected; and wishing that,
" by our assistance, a remedy might be applied
'• to this mischief, I called you together without
" any delay *."
Before he had expressed himself in such posi-
tive terms upon this point, he ought to have
read the preface of Socrates Scholasticus to the
fifth book of his Ecclesiastical History. " In
" our History," says he, " we include the em-
'• perors ; because, from the time in which they
" began to embrace the Christian religion, the
" affairs of the Church have depended upon
" them ; and the greatest Councils have been,
" and at present are, convened by their deter-
*' mination and appointment."
At present, I will only further remind him of
what was said upon this point by the Council
of Constance ; " This Council, being lawfully*
" assembled in the name of the Holy Ghost,
*• which constituted the general Council, and
"■ represented the v/hole Catholic Church, Ii^d
'* its powers i?nmediatehj from Jesus Christ ; and
*' en^en the Pope himself is obliged to obey it:'' And
the R. must allow that to have been the most
august assembly that ever appeared in the king-
dom of Antichrist. Beside clergymen and lay-
men, of all ranks, in myriads, there were pre-
sent 1 600 barbers, 300 tavern-keepers, ,505 mu-
sicians, 1500 strumpets, and 346 jugglers and
C 3 play.
* Id. lib. 3. c. 12.
66 POPtRY CONDEMNED BY
play-actors ; all, without doubt, for the conve-
nience and comfort of these venerable fathers,
who burnt John Huss and Jerome of Prague,
for believing and teaching the doctrine of the
scriptures about the way to heaven.
As a farther proof of the supremacy of the
Pope, the R. says, " In his letter to them pre-
" lates Damasus twice calls them his most ho-
" noured children *."
That Damasus, a man who arrived at the
popedom through the murder of 1 60 citizens,
whose arrogance v/as unbounded, and v/hose
table vied with the emperor's in luxury, might
do so, I will not dispute. But a multitude of
passages can also be prodaced from ancient wri-
ters, in which the Popes of these times are mere-
ly denominated colleague and brother by the sur-
rounding bishops.
But says the R., " In the general Council of
*' Ephesus, held in the year 431, 'twas affirmed
** without a contradiction, or even without the
*' least motion of surprise, that Peter was the
*' head of the apostles, and Pope Celestine, (then
*' at Rome), the head of the Council f.'*
It has been already shewn, in what sense the
primacy of Peter and the Pope was understood
by the primitive Church. This can, therefore,
be no proof of an authoritative supremacy.
*^ In the seventh Synod held at Nice," says
the
* P. 193. f P, 194.
SCRIPTURE AND TUd. FATLT.RS. 67
the R., " Pope Adrian's letter to Tharaslus was
'' received with universal applause, in it we read
" that his See was the head of the universal
** Church : That it has a distinguished primacy
" over the inhabited world ; that Peter always
'• was and is still supreme *."
If the bishops of that Council received this
declaration of Adrian with such unbounded ap-
plause as he mentions, they seem very soon to
have altered their sentiments. By consulting
the letter which they sent to this Pope at the
conclusion of the Council, he will find them far
from acknowledging his supreme authority. The
only titles which they give him, are these of
brother and fellow-minister.
But farther, says he, " Epiphanius says : thai
*' Ursace and Valens went in penance with libels
*' f supplicatory J to the blessed Julius^ Bishop of
" Rorne^ to give an account of their error and their
*' crime. Her. 68. — Would these Bishops ap-
" pear to account for their conduct before a Bi-
'• shop in whom they acknowledged no jurisdic-
*' tiont?"
A few observations on the state of the Church
at that period will tend to illustrate these words
of Epiphanius,
A custom had, for a considerable time, sub-
sisted, by which persons, who imagined them-
selves unjustly condemned in their own provin-
C 4 cial
* P. 194. f P. 197,
68 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
cial assemblies, appealed for their vindication to
the neighbouring churches. This, hov/ever, was
not done upon the principle of a superior juris-
diction. The condemned person merely sup-
posed, that the approbation of the surrounding
bishops, particularly if their influence was con-
siderable, would tend to his justification in the
eyes of the world. Ursacius and Valens acted
entirely on this principle in appearing at Rome
before Julius. They had been infected with the
Ariaii heresy, and were also violent enemies of
Athanasius, But finding his cause very warmly
espoused by the Western bishops, they judged
it sound poHtics to retr?ct their opinions, and
chime in with the multitjJe, For this purpose,
they appeared before the Council of Milan, and
pretended to abjure their errors. Their recan-
tation was accordingly received by these bishops,
who also restored ihem to the communion of
the Church. After this, imagining that, could
they obtain also the countenance of Julius, it
would tend to remove any remaining suspicion
against them, and to restore their credit, they
repaired to Rome, and repeated their recanta-
tion. In all this, however, there was no ac-
knowledgement of the Pope's supremacy ; for
they had been restored by the Council, previous
to this journey. It is evident also, that they
were not sent by the Council ; for Hosius, bi-
shop
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 69
shop of Corduba, says in express terms, " They
" came to Rome of their own accord *."
The R.'s next proof is from the works ascri-
bed to Athanasius ; " Athanasius," says he,
*' in his letter to Pope FeUx, says : for this that
" Jesus Christ placed you and your predecessors
*' in the fortress of the summit, and ordered you
" to take care of all Churches, that you might as-
" sist us f."
There are some points of doctrine taught by
the Fathers, about which the R., notwithstand-
ing his pretensions to an extensive acquaintance
with these writers, w'ould require a Uttle farther
information. Their words must not always be
taken in their literal acceptation ; particularly,
when they speak of the merit and influence of
metropolitan bishops. Of this I will produce
some examples, which cannot fail to receive his
cordial approbation. Gregory Nazianzen, in
his Panegyric upon Athanasius, ascribes to him
that supremacy for which the R. contends.
"• He had," says he, ^' the government of that
" people committed to him, which is as much
" as to say, of the whole world." St. Basil
also^ in writing to Athanasius respecting the
establishment of Meletius, as patriarch of An-
tioch, says, " That so he might govern, as it
'• were, the whole body of the Church ];." But
Thcodoret overlooks both these, and bestows
C 5 the
* Apud Ath. ad S.^lltar. f P. 107. i Ep, 50.
70 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the supremacy on the patriarch of Constanti-
nople : " He was intrusted with the government
*' of the Catholic Church of the orthodox at
*' Constantinople, and thereby, of the whole
'' world*," Before the R., therefore, can re-
ceive any assistance from these words which he
has ascribed to Athanasius, or from similar ex-
pressions, he must lay down the following rule
for understanding the Fathers, " When supre-
*' macy is ascribed to the bishop of Rome, it
*' must be literally understood ; but to others,
" it is merely complimentally."
But, though these words had actually ascri-
bed an exclusive supremacy to Felix, they would
afford the R. very little ground for boasting.
Du Pin has proven, by conclusive reasoning,
that the letter from which they are extracted is
false and supposititious. '^ It has," says he,
'' many marks of falsehood. 1. Athanasius
" never communicated with this false Pope. 2.
'- It has not the style of Athanasius, but of a
** Latin author. 3. It is composed of passages
" from works which were not then in existence.
'•' 4. When Felix was chosen, Athanasius was
" in concealment, and could not assemble a Sy-
•• nod, as the letter says he did f." But, per-
haps, nothing less than the testimony of Atha-
nasius himself Vv'ill persuade the R. of its forge-
ry.
* Haeret. Fabu!. Hb. 4. c. 12. f Hist. Eccles.
vol. I. p. 176.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 71
ry. If he please, then, to look into the works
of that Father, he will find him calling Felix " a
" monster, raised to the See of Rome, by the
*' malice of Antichrist *." Such was this vene-
rable Father's opinion of a man, who is now ho-
noured by the Romish Church as a saint and a
niartvr.
x^ccording to the R/s account, Athanasius
had good reason to acknowledge the Pope's su-
premacy ; for, says he, " Sozomen, the Greek
" historian, says, Lib. 3. ch. G. that Julius bi-
*' shop of Rome reinstated him in the See of:
*' Alexandria f/*
The same thing is also affirmed by Socrates
Scholasticus ; but it is evident that they were
both mistaken. In the Council which met at
Rome, Athanasius was declared unjustly depo-
sed, and admitted into the communion of that
Church; but, so far from being reinstated by
the Pope, he did not return to Alexandria for a
considerable number of years. This Father was.
restored to his See by the Council of Sardica, as
is farther related by Socrates, in the twentieth
chapter of his second Book.
The R.'s next proof of supremacy is deduced
from the conduct of Victor. " Pope Victor,"
says he, " in the year 192, threatened to ex-
' communicate the Asiatics for celebrating the.
" Easter on the same day with the Jews ; Bias-
C 6 - tus, ^
*Aih, ad Solltar. f P. 199. % Ibid.
'J'2 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
'• tus^ says Tertullian de prae in fine, fraudu-
lently endeavoured to introduce Judaism : he
*' said that Easter ivas not to be celebrated but ac-
" cording to the law of Moses^ on the fourteenth
*' day of the month. As the Asiatics had adopt-
*• ed this mode of celebrating the Easter, the
" pontiff applying an effectual remedy to a grow-
*' ing evil, either did or seriously threatened to
" retrench from the Catholic communion all
" those who obstinately persisted in the error*."
The R., in his relation of this affair, discovers
the most contemptible ignorance of antiquity.
The Asiatic mode of observing Easter, he would
ti'y to persuade us, was an innovation in religion,
and erroneous ; and, therefore, because it seem-
ed to be a growing evil. Pope Victor endeavour-
ed to stop it by applying the effectual remedy of
excommunication. A very little acquaintance
with antiquity indeed would have shewn him,
that the observation of Easter on any particular
day, had no foundation, either in the scriptures
or apostolic tradition. The bishops of Rome
before the days of Victor, instead of considering .
the different practices of the Church in this point
a sufficient cause for thundering out an excom-
munication, we:i:e wont to send the cucharist, as-
a mark of communion, to bishops of opposite
sentiments. Pope Anicetus even permitted Po-
lycarp to consecrate the sacrament in his own
church
* P. 199.
SCRIPTURE A^D THE FATHERS. 73
church at Rome, though they could not agree
about this particular. By consulting the Eccle-
siastical History of Socrates Scholasticus, he will
find that neither the observation of Easter, nor
many other nonsensical rites, which the Romish
Church have imposed upon the ignorant, as es-
sentials of religion, had any other origin than
the will-worship of men. As it may be gratify-
ing to the reader to hear the opinion of this his-
torian, I will transcribe a few of his observations
on this subject.
*• The apostles, therefore, and the gospels,
" have no where imposed the yoke of servitude
" on those who have approached the preaching
*' of the faith, but have left the feast of Easter,
" and the other festivals, to be honoured by the
*' gratitude and benevolence of those who have
" had benefits conferred upon them on those
" days. Wherefore, because men love festivals,
" on account of the cessation from labour which
'• they enjoy at such times, they have, accord-
"■ ing to their own pleasure, in every place, ce-
" leb rated, by a certain custom, the memory of
" the saving passion. For neither our Saviour
" nor his apostles have enjoined us by any law
" to 'observe this festival, nor have the gospels.
* or the apostles threatened us with any fine,
" punishment, or curse, as the Mosaic law does
''• the Jews. . . . Moreover, it was not the a-
'* postles' design to make laws concerning festi-
" val
74 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" val days, but to introduce good life and pie-
*' ty ; And it seems to me, that as many other
*' things, in several places, have been establish-
*' ed by custom, so the feast of Easter also had
" a peculiar observation among all persons from
*' some old usage ; because none of the apostles,
*' as I have said, have made any determinate
'* decree concerning it. Now, that the obser-
'' vation of this festival had its origin among all
*' men, in the primitive times, from, custom ra-
" ther than law, the things themselves do de-
" monstrate. For in Asia Minor, most people
** kept the fourteenth day of the moon, disre-
*' garding the Sabbath-day; and though this
" was their practice, they never separated from
" those who celebrated the feast of Easter other-
" wise ; till Victor, bishop of Rome, overheat-
*' ed with anger, sent an excommunication- libel
* to the Ouartodecimani in Asia *."
Nor is the R. better informed about the na-
ture of excommunication, as it was frequently
used in the primitive ages. In many cases, it
was merely a mark, by which one bishop with-
drew himself from the communion of another,
over whom he possessed no jurisdiction. Nor
did this sentence always imply, that an excom-
municated person was removed from the com-
munion of other parts of the church. Of this,
the case before us is an apposite illustration. The
Ri
* Hist. Ecck?. lib. 5. c. 22.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 75
R. would wish it believed, that Pope Victor's
authority was acknowledged by the excommuni-
cated bishops and the whole Church ; and also,
that this strong measure produced a more regu-
lar observance of Easter : " His severity," says
he, " put a stop to the progress of the evi!, his
" authority was never called in question *."
But nothing can be farther from the truth than
both these assertions. These excommunicated
bishops disregarded equally the Pope and his
sentence ; and the other bishops of the Church,
instead of acquiescing in his judgement, and
withdrawing from their communion, combined
to rebuke him, as a disturber of the peace.
Such views did they entertain at that time of
the infallibility and supremacy of the Romish
Church ; and yet the R. presumes to say, that
they entertained no doubt of the validity of the
act ! As yet the thunder of Popes was not arm-
ed with all its terrors. They could neither toast
the refractory with fire and faggot, nor dissemi-
nate discord among neighbours, rebellion in
kingdoms ; and therefore, their unjust decisions
were treated with contempt. So little did the
primitive bishops consider a Pope's excommuni-
cation as a decisive proof of his supreme autho-
I'ity, that they never failed to use this weapon
against himself upon just occasions. Had the R.
ever seen the writings of some of these Fathers
which
* P. 200.
76 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
which he pretends to quote, he would have
known, that the head of the See of Rome, this
pretended successor to the official authority of
St. Peter, has been more than once excommu-
nicated by them, for condemning the doctrines
of the gospel *.
Such are the principal proofs by which he at-
tempts to establish the supremacy of the Romish
Church. They are, he informs us, the best
that he could produce : " He has confined hini-
" self to these testimonies, which are warranted
" by cotemporary writers of the greatest note f.'*
In presuming to fight such a great battle with so
feeble weapons, he has certainly freed himself
frorn the charge of cowardice. Like many other
bold warriors, however, his courage originated
in ignorance of his danger. With a number of
borrowed quotations, set off with scraps of
Greek, he has attempted to make a show of
learning. But he is evidently a considerable'
stranger, both to the writings of the Fathers and
the practices of antiquity. His proofs will nei-
ther stand the test of fair reasoning nor just in-
vestigation. Many of his authorities are taken
frorn books which he never consulted, and per-
haps
* St. Hilarius anathematized Pope Liberius, for Ciccln-
liiig hlirself Avian, nncl condemning the orthodox faith :
and Pope Vigilius, for favouring the Eutychian heresy, \ra'-
excommunicated by the African bishops.
f P. 20.2.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 77
hajjs never saw. Of this, many proofs have
been already shewn. Out of many more, which
might be added if necessary, I will only produce
one, that the reader may see the accuracy of his
researches into the works of the Fathers.
*' Evagrius the Syrian," says he, " whom
•• Photius, a good judge of history, though a
" very bad man, thinks an accurate historian,
" says in his history. Lib. 1. Hist. Cap. 4. that
" the general Council of Ephesus deposed Nes-
" torius, patriarch of Constantinople, by a
" mandate from the Roman PontifF ; but think-
*• ing the cause of John, patriarch of Antioch,
*' more doubtful, did not presume to pronounce
** on it, but reserved it for the judgement of
*' Pope Celestine himself*."
According to Evagrius, the Councrl declared
themselves induced to the deposition of Nesto-
rius, " by the authority of the canons, and also
*' by the letter of our most holy father and fel-
" low-minister, Celestine, bishop of the Roman
'' Church." Did these bishops either view this
letter as a mandate, or acknowledge the supreme
authority of the Pope, when they styled him
merely their fellow-minister, and restricted his
jurisdiction to the See of Rome ? But this is
the most correct part of his statement. In this
chapter, neither John of Antioch nor his case
are so much as mentioned. 1 his Council, also,
so
* P. 193-
VS POPERY CONDEMNED BY
SO far from making any reference concerning
him to Celestine, deposed him from his office,
and cast him out of the church, as the R. may-
see by consulting the very next chapter of Eva-
grius, that accurate historian : " John and the
" bishops of his party are separated from holy
** communion, and from all sacerdotal authori-
'• ty." He might employ his time to excellent
advantage, in furnishing the world with a new
copy of the works of these ancient writers.
That is a work for which he appears to be very
w^ll qualified. He is a greater adept at framing
an original than making translations ; and he
seems also to know^ that had the Fathers com-
posed their works in the nineteenth century,
when Popery, in the decrepitude of old age,
required many props to support it, they would
have written very differently from what they did
in the days of their ignorance.
As yet, we have only taken a view of what
the Fathers have not said respecting Popish su-
premacy ; we may now observe what they have
actually taught. This must be pleasing to the
R., whose heart is refreshed by the very names
of these ancient writers. We may begin with
the decisions of the Council of Sardica, which
was held in the year 347.
By the canons of this assembly, at which a
hundred Western bishops were present, it was
agreed, " That if any bishop shall think him-
" self
SCKiPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 79
•• self unjustly condemned, his judges shall ac-
*' quaint the bishop of Rome, who may either
*' confirm the first judgement, or appoint a re-
" examination of his case by some neighbour-
" ing bishops." Hosius of Corduba, who was
much attached to the See of Rome, requested
the Council to grant this privilege to the memo-
ry of St. Peter. This every reader will allow
to be a notable tefstimony for the Pope's supre-
macy, and must be very much surprised that the
R. should overlook it. But his neglect of it
was occasioned by its connection with a number
of circumstances, with w^hich he found it a little
delicate to intermeddle. As I am not under the
same restraint, I will present them to the
reader.
So far was the Pope's supremacy from being
an established doctrine in the church at this
time *, that before the Council of Sardica could
pass their decree, they were necessitated to re-
voke the decisions of the Council of Antioch,
by which all appeals beyond the neighbouring-
provinces had been totally prohibited. After
all, it tended very little to advance the Pope's
authority ; for the decrees of this Council were
neither put into the code of the canons of the
universal church, approved by the Council of
Chalcedon, nor would the Eastern and African
bishops receive them. But the principal use to
which
♦ A. D. 347.
80 POPERY CONDExMNED BY
which this canon has been applied, is yet to be
mentioned. This I will relate with the greatest
satisfaction, because it must please both the
reader and the R. ; the former, by affording
him a just view^ of the supremacy ; the latter,
by showing him a Pope exercising himself in
these upright and pious labours, by which the
Romish Church has been exalted.
The African bishops, having been disgusted
with the arrogance of Pope Zosimus, attempted
to put a stop to his encroachments, by a decree
of Council assembled at Carthage in the year
418. By this it w^as determined, that if any
person presumed to appeal beyond seas, he
should be excluded from the communion of the
church. In a very short time, however, they
found this assertion of their independence insuf-
ficient to prevent Zosimus from, intermeddling
with their affairs. The first appearance of this
was upon the following occasion.
Apiarius, a presbyter of Sicca, having been
convicted of many grievous crimes, was degra-
ded and exconmiunicated by his own bishop
Urbanus. Notwithstanding the justice of his
sentence, and the prohibition of the Council, he
appealed to the bishop of Rome. Such defe-
rence to the See of St. Peter was too flattering
to pass unrewarded ; and therefore Zosimus,
without even hearing the other party, restored
Apiarius to his dignity, and to the commiunion
of
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS, 81
of the church. The African bishops upon this
took the alarm, and exclaimed against his pro-
cedure as an open violation of the canons. Zo-
sfmus knew that it would be in vain for him to
appeal to the Council of Sardica m vindication
of his conduct, as that Council had never been
acknowledged in Africa ; and therefore he
judged it a most prudent expedient to palm its
decrees upon these bishops, as the canons of
Nice. To carry on this imposture, Faustinus,
a bishop, with Philippus and Assellus, both
presbyters, were dispatched into Africa. In
their instructions, they were commanded to re-
quire of the African bishops an observance of
these canons ; and also, that they would not
communicate with Urbanus, unless he received
Apiarius as formerly.
On the arrival of these legates, a Council
was immediately called, and their instructions
read. These canons were next compared with
many copies of the canons of Nice, to which
they were found not to bear the most distant re-
semblance. The legates, however, continuing
to' affirm, with the most consummate effrontery,
that the canons produced by them were genuine,
the Council agreed to observe them till a more
particular inquiry should be made. But, as
this was an affair of general concernm.ent, and
only a few bishops present, they agreed to call
82 POPEivY CONDEMN'ED BY
a general Council, before any decisive step
should be taken.
Agreeably to this resolution, 217 bishops
from the different provinces of Africa convened
at Carthage on the 25th of May 419. Aure-
lius of Carthage moved, that the canons of
Nice, in the possession of the African bishops,
should be read. This was strenuously opposed
by Faustinus the legate, who insisted on their
first reading his instructions, and forming some
resolutions respecting the observance of the ca-
nons in his possession. After much wrangling,
it was proposed to send messengers to Constan-
tinople, Alexandria, and Antioch, for authentic
copies of the canons of Nice. This proposal
Faustinus opposed most fuiiously, as an outrage
offered to the See of Rome, and an indirect ac-
cusation of forgery. Notwithstanding his re-
monstrances, the Council agreed to this mea-
sure, and determined, that if the canons pro-
duced by Faustinus were correct, they should
be strictly observed ; but if otherwise, a new
Council should be called, and such resolutions
formed, as might then be judged proper. They
also farther decreed, that Apiarius should make
proper submission to his bishop, and then be
restored.
In the mean time, they sent to Constanti-
nople, Alexandria, and Antioch, for the most
authentic copies of the canons of Nice. On re-
ceiving
SCRIPTURE AND TflE FATHERS. 85
ceiving these, and comparing them with the
copy which Cecilianus had brought from that
Council, they were found to correspond in eve-
ry particular. This was the more remarkable,
as the Alexandrian copy had been sent original-
ly from Rome by Pope Marcus, at the request
of the bishops of Egypt. The African bishops
immediately informed Boniface, who had suc-
ceeded Pope Zosim.us, of this agreement of the
copies, and the dispute was dropped.
In the pontificate of Celestine, however, it
was again renewed. Apiarius, after his restora-
tion, was convicted of the most scandalous con-
duct, and on this account excommunicated anew.
This produced another appeal to Rome ; and
Pope Celestine not only declared him innocent,
and admitted him into his communion without
an examination of witnesses, but sent his legate
along with him into Africa, with orders to see
him reinstated.
On their arrival, a general Council was called,
and Apiarius summoned to attend. He accord-
ingly appeared with the legate, who insisted,
that as he had been declared innocent at Rome,
he should be received into communion. To
this the African bishops replied, that, having
been condemned among them, his innocence
must also appear, before that could take place.
They therefore proceeded to his trial, which
lasted three w^hole days. During this time, he
defended
84 POPERY CONDEMN tD BY
• #
defended his cause with art and cunning ; and,
by the protection of the bishop of Rome, he
might have escaped, had he been able only to
withstand the stings of his own conscience.
But, upon the fourth day, to the great confu-
sion of the legate and- the supremacy, he con-
fessed every crime with which he had been
charged. What these were, we are not inform-
ed ; but, in the proceedings of that Council,
they are declared to have been " heinous, in-
" credible, such as ought not to be named, and
''such as drew sighs and tears from the whole
" assembly *." The Council immediately de-
clared him excluded from the communion of
"the church, and renewed the canon, which pro-
hibited appeals beyond sea, on pain of excom-
munication. They then wrote a synodical letter
to the Pope, in which they asserted their rights,
and told him to send them no more of his le-
gates upon errands of this kind.
The reader, I hope, will forgive the length of
this narration. It affords a juster view of the
supremacy, than could be given by a multitude
of quotations from ancient authors. Nor is it
even without its consolation to the R. It will
show him that the Church of Rome did not ob-
tain the supremacy, without being sometimes
most sadly foiled, and therefore, may encourage
him to persevere, though his present attempts
have
* Concil. torn. 2. 1145. 1148.
•
SCRIPTURE AND T-IIE FATHERS. 8;>
have not succeeded. He may yet do great things
and marvellous by a steady perseverance. There
is the greater prospect of success, as he occupies
a ground, of which these near-sighted Popes
could not perceive the advantage. From the
whole of this dispute it appears, that they knew^
no other foundation for the supremacy than the
canons of Nice. Now, it stands upon a much
surer bottom ; and besides, the traditions of
eighteen centuries may be wrested to support the
building.
I will, in the next place, introduce the R. to
his learned friend St. Jerome, who, being a cler-
gyman employed in the service of Pope Damasus,
ought to know something of the supremacy of
these early times. " Wherever there is a bi-
" shop," says he, in his epistle to Evagrius,
'* whether at Rome or Eugubium, Constanti-
•' nople or Rhegium, Alexandria or Tanis, he
" is of the same worth, and of the same priest-
'* hood ; the advantage of wealth, and the dis-
*' advantage of poverty, neither make a bishop
*' higher nor lower ; for they are all successors
" of the apostles.*' St. Jerome, in these words,
places the most eminent and the most obscure
Sees equally on a level.
Notv/iihstanding the numerous quotations
which the R. has produced from St. Cyprian, in
defence of Popish supremacy, no ancient bishop
contended more strenuously against it. He
D would
SS POPERY CONDEMNED BY
would Wish US to believe, that the dispute be-
tween Pope Stephen and this Father respected
merely the baptism of heretics. But though that
was the original quarrel, it was connected with
a steady opposition on the part of St. Cyprian to
any supremacy assumed by the See of Rome.
As a complete refutation of all the proofs which
he has produced from this Father, I will give
the reader a view of the progress and termina-
tion of this dispute.
Cyprian entertained an opinion, that all con-
verted heretics ought to be re-baptised, but, at
the same time, declared himself willing to live
in unity and love with all who were of opposite
sentiments. His views on this subject having
been embraced by two Councils at Carthage,
they wrote to Stephen, informing him of their
decision, and also of their intention to act upon
the same principles of peace and charity. In re-
ply to their letter, Stephen, who had warmly
espoused the contrary opinion, sent them a very
^irrogant epistle, in Vv^hich he commanded Cy-
prian, and all who adhered to him, to quit their
'views, on pain of exclusion from his commu-^
rJan-: And^ to shew them how much he was in
earnest, he dignified the former with the appel-
lation of false Christ, false apostle, deceitful
workman, and the like.
Though highly provoked by the Pope's abu-
sive language, this Father was still desirous that
the
4
SCRirXURE AND THE FATHERS. 87
the truth might be ascertained, and therefore
summoned another Council for a re-examination
of the question. After the former Councirs
letter to Stephen and his reply had been read,
Cyprian made a short speech, exhorting every
member to apeak his mind freely ; and, says he,
in allusion to the arrogant pretensions and con-
duct of the Pope, " Let none of us set up for
*' bishop of bishops, nor, by a tyrannical fear,
" reduce his colleagues to the necessity of cbey-
" ing *." The bishops then dehvered their opi-
nions in order, unanimously adhering to the de-
cree of the former Councils, which was imme-
diately confirmed, notwithstanding the threats
and menaces of the Pope ; And yet the R. has
produced a string of quotations from St. Cy-
prian, as a notable defender of Popish suprema-
cy. In these he has attended merely to the
jingle of the words, and not to the scope of the
writer. To illustrate this, I will produce one,
which may serve as a specimen of the whole.
. " In his letter,'* says he, " to Cornelius, then
*' Pope, St. Cyprian says : Sects and schis?ns re^
'* suit from this only^ that obedience is not paid to
'* the priest of God ; nor is it considered that there
*' is but one priest of God for the time, and one
'* j^^^^^ f^^ ^^^ ^'^^ ^^ ^^^^ /)/^r^ of Christy to
*' 'whom if according to diving instruction, the
D 2 " whole
* Con. p. 397.
bS POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" whole fraierniUj obeyed^ no one ivould disturb
'^ the college of priests, — Lib. 1. Epist. 3.
*' »St. Cyprian shews that there is but one
'' priest in the Catholic Church to whom all
" others owe obedience j that disobedience to
" him is the source of heresy and schism . . .
" In the same epistle he calls the Roman Church
** the See of St. Peter, and the principal Church
*' from which the unity of the priesthood ari-
" ses*."
Perhaps, it did not occur to the R., that St.
Cyprian has not yet specified the Pope to be this
" one priest of God for the time ;'^ but it is
very natural for a Romish priest to presume that
be thought so. If the reader advert to this Fa-
ther's opposition, he will be apt to think other-
wise. St. Cyprian, it is more than probable,
knew" something of -his own meaning, and there-
fore he ought to be consulted on this point. Ke
indeed says, that episcopal government is found-
ed in unity ; but it is no less evident, that he
means a unity of counsel, and not -of supreme
authority. " The episcopal government,'^ says
he, '' ought to be but one, spread abroad among
" bishops ; many in number, and agreeing hear-
** tily together f.'*
It will be granted, that St. Cyprian calls the
Church of Rome " the See of St. Peter, and
" the principal Church, from which the unity
" of
* P. 204. f Ep. 52. ad Antonian.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 89
'• of the priesthood arises." But had the R.
ever seen the epistle, which he pretends to quote,
he would scarcely have ventured to mention it to
his readers. St. Cyprian, in this very place,
teaches 9t doctrine diametrically opposite to Po-
pish supremacy, as may be seen from the follow-
ing extract : " After all these irregularities, after
*' electing an heretic to be a bishop, they have
*' still the impudence to go to Rome, and carry
*^ letters from schismatics to the Chair of St. Pe-
" ter ; to that chief Church, which is the spring
" of sacerdotal unity. But what can be their
*' design, since they are still resolved to perse-
** vere in their crimes ? or what benefit can they
" exp«ct by going to Rome ? If they repent of
" their faults, they should understand, that they
" must come back to this place to receive abso-
** lution ; since it is an established order all over
" the world, and indeed it is but reasonable,
" that every person's cause should be examined
" where the crime was committed. Every pas-
** tor has received a part of Jesus Christ's f.ock
*' to govern, and shall render an account of his
*' actions to God alone. On this account, it is
*'• not to be allowed, that persons under our
" charge should run here and there, and sow
" dissension among bishops," &c. ^
The scope of this passage is suflicient to shew,
that Cyprian, in calling the See of Rome the
principal Church, and the spring of sacerdotal
D 3 unity,
so rOPLRY COxKEEMNED £¥
unity, did not Intend to ascribe any supremacy
to the Pope or his See. But his own explana-
tion of his meaning can be also produced.
*' Christ/' says he, " builds his Church upon
*' one ; and though he gives equal' power to all
" the apostles, and tells them, Whose sins ye re-
** tain shall be retained^ and whose sins ye for-
•* give shall he forgiven^ yet, to make unity ma-
'' nifest, he ordered, by his own authority, that
^' the origin of that very unity should begin from
** one ; For the other npostles were the same as
*' -he, (Peter J^ equally sharers of honour and
*' power ; but the beginning springs from unity,
*'• that the Church may be shewn to be only
** one*."
In these words, St. Cyprian does not grant
even a primacy of honour to any of the apostles,
and certainly far less to the bishop of Rome. If
the R. imagine that this Father calls the Church
of Rome " the See of St. Peter, and the prin-
'* cipal Church," in exclusion to all others, he
is a stranger to the doctrine which was taught in
the primitive church, and even by the head of
the Romish See. I will introduce him sgain to
Pope Gregory the Great, that excellent writer,
uho will shew him what he ought to underfland
by the See of St. Peter. " Though there were
*' several apostles," says he, in his epistle to Eu-
logius of Alexandria, " there is but one aposto-
*' lie
* De Unit. Eccles.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 91
*' lie See, the See of the prince of the apostles^
" which has acquired great authority ; and that
** See is in three places ; in Rome, where he
*' died ; in Alexandria, where it w'as founded by
" his disciple St. Mark ; and in Antioch, where
" he resided himself seven years. These three,
** therefore, are but one See ; and on that one
*' See sit three bishops, who are but one in him
*' who said, I a?n in my Father^ and you in me,
*' and I in you."
Having mentioned the name of this Pope, it
may not be amiss to take a short view of his
contendings about supremacy.
In his time, the bishop of Constantinople as-
sumed the title of universal patriarch. Pope
Gregory took the alarm at this, and strained"
every nerve to induce him to relinquish it, asr
being proud, profane, and antichristian. His
applications, however, to the emperor, the em-
press, and the patriarch himself, were unsuc-
cessful. Finding himself disappointed, he again
wrote to his nuntio at Constantinople, to apply
anew for the abolition of this title. His letter
was closed with the following words : " It is
*' very hard, that, after we have parted wiih
" our selves, our gold, our slaves, and even
" our garments, we should be obliged also to
*' resign our faith ; for to consent to that ini-
*' pious title, is parting with our faith *."
D 4 When
* Lib. 4. Ep. 39.
-92 « rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
When the applications of his nuntio were e-
qiially unsuccessful, he wrote a letter to the bi-
shop himself, in which he styles his new title
** vain, ambitious, profane, impious, execrable,
** antichristian, blasphemous, infernal, and dia-
" bolical/' " Wiiiom do you imitate," says he,
*' in assuming that arrogant title ? Whom, but
** him who, inflated with pride, exalted himself
■** above so many legions of angels his equals, that
*' he might be subject to none, and that all might
'* be subject to him If none of the apostles
" Vv'ould be called universal, what will you an-
" swer in the last day to Christ, the Head of the
^' universal Church ? You who, by arrogating
*-* that name, strive to subject all his members
*' to yourself r But this is the time which Christ
** himself foretold ; the earth is now laid waste,
** and destroyed by the plague and the sword ;
•^ the king of pride (Antichrist) is at hand, and,
** what I dread to say, an army of priests is rea-
*' dy to receive him */'
To this bishop's successor, Pope Gregory
wrote a letter upon the same subject ; in which
he says, " Whoever calls himself universal bi-
*' shop, or desires to be so called in the pride of
•• his heart, is the forerunner of Antichrist.*'
Nor did he reject this title with less indignation,
when given to himself by Eulogius of Alexan-
dria.
* Lib. 4. £p. 32.
SCRIPrURE AND TIJE FATIIEKS. So
diia. In reply to a letter from that bishop, he
says, '' If you give me more than is due to me,
*' you rob yourself of what is your own due. I
*' chuse to be distinguished by my manners, and
*' not by titles. Nothing can redound to my
*' honour^ which conduces to the dishonour of
" my brethren. I place my honour in main-
" taining them in theirs. I£ you call me uni-
'* versal Pope, you thereby own yourself to be
" no Pope. Let no such titles, therefore, be
** mentioned or ever heard among us. Your
*' Holiness says in your letter that I commanded
*' you. I command you ! I know w^ho you are^
** —who I am. In rank you are my brother^
*' in manners my father^ I, therefore, did not:
*' command, and I request, that you will hence ^
" forth forbear that word for ever *,'*
• Any observations on the sentiments of this
head of the See of Rom^e are entirely unneces-
sary. Should the R. think, that a more com-
plete view of them ought to have been given, a
larger assortment of quotations from his writingvS
to the same purpose are at his service. It is, in-
deed, some consolation to the R. to reflect, that
these proofs against the supremacy were penned
by Gregory in the midst of great ignorance.
Learned and judicious as he was, he neither knew
that his successors would claim the title which he
declared to be execrable, nor that " innovator:
D 5 *' and
* Lib, 7. Ep. 36.
9i POPERY CONDEMNED EY
** and pretended reformers*' would quote his
sayings in defence of their heresies. Had he
written a few centuries later, he would have
perhaps expressed himself in very different
strains. But, like many other ignorant and well-
meaning persons, he happened to stumble upon
the truth, which the R. knows very well ought
never to be told, when it tends to diminish the
influence of the bishop of Rome.
This ancient Pope appears to have been a
great enemy to Antichrist, According to his
views, he was at hand in his days. Since then,
twelve hundred years have elapsed ; and there-
fore, he ought now to be getting pretty grey-
headed. Will the R. then be pleased to cast
his eyes upon what is called the Christian world,
and observe whether the Protestant interest, or
Papal authority, is in the most declining condi-
tion. A very slight glance will show him, that
the horizon of the Romish Church is overcast
and gloomy. Might we not then suppose, that
the period had arrived, when great Babylon, or,
as the R. explains it, "great Rome came in re-
*' membrance before God, to give unto her the
'• cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath*."
St. John informs us, that the kings of the earth,
after having given their power and strength to
the beast, " v/ould hate Babylon the great, the
*' mother of harlots, and make her desolate and
" naked,
* Rev. XV . 19.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 95
*' naked, and eat her flesh, and burn her with
" fire *.'* The accomplishment of this pro-
phecy is hastening to a conclusion. The kings
of the earth have already given her the most
am.ple tokens of their hatred 5 they have not
only eaten her flesh, but squeezed the very
marrow from her bones ; and the time is not
far distant, when the flames, with which she has
tormented the servants of God, will overtake
her. The present generation may yet " see the
'' smoke of her burning ;"' and then the R.
ought to join the Church in her doxclogy,
'' Alleluia; salvation, and glory, and honour,
" and power, unto the Lord our God: For
" true and righteous are his judgements ; for
" he hath judged the great whore, who did
'* corrupt the earth with her fornication, and
*' hath avenged the blood of his servants at her
'' hand ; And again they said. Alleluia. And
'^ her smoke rose up for ever and ever t»''
D6 CHAP,
* Rev, xvil. f Chap. xix. I.— 3.
9S POPERY CONDEMNED BV
CHAP. IV.
A VIEW OF THE TEMPORAL AUTHORITY CLAIM-
ED AND EXERCISED BY THE POPES, AND AN
ACCOUNT OF THE MEANS WHICH THEY
HAVE EMPLOYED TO SUPPORT IT.
After, discussing the doctrine of the Pope's
spiritual supremacy, it may not be amiss to pre-
sent the reader with a short view of the temporal
authority which he has both claimed and exerci-
sed. This part of the supremacy the R. has at-
tempted to deny indirectly : " To the Ex. second
'' conclusion,*' says he, " that is, that the
*' Pope enjoys full power over all nations and
*' kingdoms, the writer replies, that Mr Burke
** has shewn in that very Letter of Instruction,
*' under examination, that the Pope does not
•' possess an atom of civil power or tempora.1
*' jurisdiction over any one town or village
*' in the whole world, beyond the territories
•' which he governs as a temporal prince *,'*
By this, he would insinuate to his readers, that
former Popes were in the same situation with
respect to temporal jurisdiction. It is lucky for
the R., that he lives at a time when coals are
?x:arce in his Holiness' kitchen, and under a
governqient which has yet to learn the propriety
of
* P. 72.
CCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 97
of broiling its subjects for the benefit of the
clergy. Had he maintained these sentiments a
few centuries sooner, both himself and his doc-
trine would have met with a reception from tlie
church, as warm as he could desire. The most
merciful sentence of the benevolent ecclesiastics
of these days, would have been destruction in
this world, and damnation in the next. But,
as it must be distressing to the mind of a good
Papist, independent of the danger, to have be-
lieved in opposition to the faith of the church,
I will show him her belief and practice in former
ages.
The sword was formerly considered as such a
useful appendage to the keys of St. Peter, that
the Popes united the imperial diadem to the
mitre. This civil power they did not exer-
cise merely for the government of their own
territorial possessions, as the K, would wish his
readers to believe. They claimed a universal
dominion, by the same right which invested
them, as they pretended, with spiritual supre-
macy. It has accordingly been the common de-
claration of the Popes, that crowns and king-
doms are at their disposal ; and that it is their
prerogative to establish kings, and destroy them
at their pleasure. But lest the R. accuse me of
misrepresentation, I will produce the authorities
on which these observations are founded. On
this subject there is no lack of proofs. Popes,
Consistories,
98 rOPERY COKDEMNED BT
Consistories, Councils, Doctors, and Casuists,
have discussed it extensively, and without the
least degree of that backwardness which the R.
discovers. They spoke, it is true, at a period
in which their doctrine Vv-as more likely to be re-
ceived with submission than at present.
The R. may have perhaps heard of the
twenty-seven sentences of Pope Gregory VII;
and his Council. In these, it is declared,
" That the Pope alone ought to wear the tokens
" of the imperial dignity, and all princes ought
' to kiss his feet ; That he is to be judged
' by none, and that he has power to depose
' emperors and kings :*' And thcvse opinions,
Baronius asserts, " have been hitherto received
' in the Romish Church *.*'
** The church my spouse," says Innocent IIL,
' is not married to me without bringing me~
' something. She has given me a dowry of
' a value beyond all price ; the plenitude of
' spiritual things, and the extent of things
' temporal ; the greatness and abundance .of
* both. She has given me the mitre in token
' of things spiritual ; the crown of things tem-
^ poral ; the mitre for the priesthood, and tbje
* crown for the kingdom ; making me the
' lieutenant of him who has written on his
' vesture, and on his thigh. King of kings^ and
* Lord cf lords. 1 alone enjoy the plenitude
*' of
♦ AC. Ann. 1076.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 99
" of power, that others may say of me next to
*' God, and out of his fulness have we recei"
'* vedJ'
*' These are the swords," says Boniface VIII.,
*' in the power of the Chmxh, the spiritual
*' and the material ; on, which is in the h and
" of the Pope, and another, which is in the
" hand of kings and w^arriors, but whose ex-
** ercise depends on the good pleasure and in-
*' dulgence of the Pope."
The same Pope, in a letter to Philip le Bel,
addresses him thus ; " Boniface, bishop and
*' servant of the servants of God, to Philip
*' king of France; fear God, and keep his com-^
** mandments. VsTe would have you to know,
*' that you are subject to us in things both
*' spiritual and temporal ; and we declare all
*' those heretics who believe the contrary.'*
And in another he says, '' God has established
*' us over kings and kingdoms, to pluck up, to
*' overthrow, to destroy, to scatter, to build,
*' and to plant, in his name and by his doc-
*' trine."
These quotations, the reader will perceive,
are unexceptionable ; and they sufficiently de-
monstrate the nature of the Papal supremacy.
But this doctrine does not rest merely on the
opinions of a Pope. It is none of these articles
of faith which terminate in speculation. I'he
history of the Church, and of the politics of
Europe,
100 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
Europe, discovers the most ample consistence
between the faith and practice of these Popes*
Of this, I will produce a few illustrations, which
the R. may controvert if he please, after he has
made himself better acquainted with what is
usually called the dark ages.
In the year 1179, Alexander III. bestowed
the royal title and badges upon Alphonsus, Duke
of Portugal; and Innocent III., in 1204, con-
ferred the same dignity on Primislaus, Duke of
Bohemia. By his legate, he also raised Johan-
niclus, Duke of Bulgaria and Wallachia, to the
same honour. In 1220, Stephen, Great Jucan
of Servia, was crowned by the authority of
Honorius III. Bolislaus, son and successor of
Cassimer, King of Poland, having been excom-
municated, first by the bishop of Cracou, and
afterwards by. the Pope, was not only deprived
of his authority, but his people were prevented
from chusing a successor without the consent of
his Holiness, who prohibited any after him from
assuming the title of King. Roger, Count of
Sicily, w^as, by the same authority, declared the
first King of Srclly, Duke of Apulia and Cala-
bria, and Prince of Capua, and conGrmed in all
these titles as the feudatory of the Church.
Alexander IV., intending to dispossess Manfred,
who had made himself Sovereign of Sicily, of-
fered that kingdom to Edward, the son of the
King of England. But this plan failing, I^iban,
the
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 101
the successor of Alexander, ordered a croisade,
with the usual encouragements, to be preached
I against Manfnd. But this scheme being attend-
ed with little success, he bestowed that kingdom
on Charles of Anjou, w^ho accepted the dona-
tion. Clement IV. succeeding Urban, ratified the
deed of his predecessor ; and in 1 266^ Charles
was crowned King of Sicily, on condition that he
should pay every year a stipulated tribute to that
Pope and his successors. Charles, having defeat-
ed and killed his rival, took possession of his new
dominions, and was, by the Pope, declared Lieu-
tenant-general of the em.pire in Italy. Nicholas
IN., however, soon after joined with the King
of Arragon to dispossess Charles ; and this pro-
duced the cruel massacre of the French on
Easter-eve, known by the name of the Sicilian
vespers. But the succeeding Pope opposed the
King of Arragon, forbade him to assume the
title of king, deprived him of his dominions,
and put him under an interdict. — Many more
exam.ples, if necessary, might be produced from
the histories of these times ; but these are suffi-
cient to show what supremacy has been claimed
by Popes, and how little they have imitated the
conduct of that Master who said, *' My king-
'' dom is not of this w^orld *."
In the course of these contendings between
the church and the world, princes frequently dis-
covered
* John, xviii. ^6,
102 PO?ERY CONDEMNED BY
covered considerable aversion to be gulled^ out
of their dominions, and endeavoured by force
to oppose this part of Papal usurpation. In
Guch cases, the decisions of the Pope were
usually corroborated by ecclesiastical censures.
Excommunication, intended by the Saviour- for
reclaiming sinners, was employed in the most
dreadful forms, to support ihe arrogant preten-
sions of this ruler of king?. In these days of
superstitious ignorance, this sentence involved
the refractory in very extensive evils ; and
therefore, it frequently produced, from the
mod hardy, an abject submission to the civil
authority of the Pope. To give the reader an
idea of a Popish excommunication, I will pre-
sent him with a form of it, which was pro-
nounced against a person who had belonged to
the Pope's alum-works, but afterwards came to
Britain, and revealed the secrets of the trade.
" By the authority of God Almighty, Fatlicr,
*' Son, and Holy Ghost ; and of the holy
" canons ; and of the immaculate Virgin Mary,
** the mother and patroness of our Saviour ;
** and of all the celestial virtues, angels, arch-
" angels, thrones, dominions, powers, cheru-
" bims and seraphims ; and of all the holy
*' patriarchs and prophets ; and of all the
** apostles and evangelists ; and of the holy in-
*' nocents, who, in the sight of the Holy Lamb^
*' are found worthy to sing the new song 5 of
" the
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 103
'* the holy martyrs and holy confessors ; and of
** the holy virgins, and of all the saints, together
" with all the holy and elect of God, we excom-
*' municate and anathematize this thief or this
*' malefactor N. : and from the thresholds of
*' the holy Church of Almighty God, we se-
" quester him, that he m,ay be tormented, dis-
*' posed, and delivered over, with Dathan and
*' Abiram, and with those who say unto the
" Lord God, Depart from us, for we desire not
" the knozvkdge of thy waijs : and as fire is
*' quenched with water, so let his light be put
*' out for ever, unless he shall repent and make
" satisfaction. Amen. ^
" May God the Father, who created man^
*' curse him. May God the Sen, who suffer-
*' ed for us, curse him. May th'j Holy Gho^t,
" who was given for us in baptism, curse him,
" May the holy cross, which Christ for our sal-
" vation triumphing ascended, curse him. May
" the holy and eternal Virgin Mary curse him.
" May St. Michael, the advocate of holy souls,
" curse him. May St. John, the chief forerun-
" ner and baptist of Christ, curse him. May
'- St. Peter, St. Paul, and St. Andrew, and all
*' the other apostles of Christ, together with the
*' rest of his disciples, and the four evangelists,
*' curse hhn. May the holy and wonderful
" company of martyrs and confessors, who by
" their holy works are found pleasing to God,
*' c uise
104< POPERY CONDEMNED BY
curse him. May the holy choir of the holy
virgins, who, for the honour of Christ, have
despised the things of the world, curse him.
May all the saints, who, from the beginning
of the w^orld to everlasting ages, are found to
be the beloved of God, curse him. May the
heaven and earth, and all the holy things
therein remaining, curse him. May he be
cursed wherever he may be, whether in the
house or in the field, in the highway or in the
path, in the wood or in the water, or in the
church. May he be cursed in living, in dying,
in eating, in drinking, in being hungry, in
being thirsty, in fasting, in sleeping, in slum-
bering, in waking, in walking, in standing,
in sitting, in lying, in working, in resting, in
p g^ in sh -g, and in bloodletting.
May he be cursed in all the powers of his
body. May he be cursed within and without.
Mav he be cursed in the hair of his head.
May he be cursed in his brain. May he be
cursed in the crown of his head, in his tem-
ples, in his forehead, in his ears, in his eye-
brows, in his cheeks, in his jaw-bones, in his
nostrils, in his fore-teeth, and grinders, in his
lips, in his throat, in his shoulders, in his
wrists, in his arms, in his hands, in his fin-
gers, in his breast, and in all the interior
parts to the very stomach, in his reins, in
his groin, in his thighs, in his genitals, in his
. - *' hips.
SCRIPTURE AtJQ THE FATHERS. 105
hips, in his knees, in his legs, in his feet, in
his joint.-, and in his nails. - May he l>, cur-
sed in the whole structure of his m:.nbors.
From the crown of his head to the sole of his
foot, may there be no soundness in him.
May the Son of the Uving God, with all the
glory of his majesty, curse him. And may
heaven, and all the powers that move therein,
rise against him to damn him, unless he re-
pent and make full satisfaction. Amen,
Amen. Amen *'."
In this manner did the pretended ministers
of that religion, which says, bless and curse yioi^
pour out their execrations against offenders;
and it must be confessed, that this specimen of
their cursing talents is a masterly performance.
Though such a sentence would now be re-
garded with the utmost contempt, yet, when
Europe was involved in superstition and igno-
rance, it was frequently attended with the most
baleful consequences to the person who incur-
red it. According to the canon-law, the sub-
jects of excommunicated princes were not only
loosed from their oaths of allegiance, but ex-
pressly prohibited to yield them any kind of
obedience. This censure, therefore, in the
hands of one, who was generally believed to
possess a powxr over the very gates of heaven,
greatly
* Lege- Book of the Church of Rochester, and Sir
Henry SpeJman's Glossary, p. 206.
106 POPERY CONDEMNED BT
greatly influenced the views and conduct of men
in civil society, and proved a successful instru-
ment for establishing his authority over kings
and princes.
If the R. say, that this sentence was entirely
ecclesiastical, and therefore, no evidence of a
civil supremacy, let him say if it be any thing
else than a political engine, when employed for
political purposes : and, that it was often, ap-
plied in this manner, can be very easily shewn.
Raymond, Count of Thoulouse, having been
excommunicated for favouring the Albigenses,
and for killing, as his enem.ies alledged, a per-
secuting priest, all his subjects were absolved
from their obligations to obedience, and his
lands given to the first occupier. In conse-
quence of this, he was attacked by 500,000 of
his zealous neighbours. That he might, there-
fore, avert impending ruin, he wrote a letter to
the Pope, in which he offered to submit to the
decision of his legates. By these, he was com-
manded to surrender seven of his strong towns
to the church, as a token of his conversion ;
and, that he might receive absolution, he was
beaten with rods at the door of the church
where the dead friar had lain, and then drag-
ged to his tomb, with a rope abont his neck, in
the presence of twenty archbishops and an im-
mense multitude of spectators. He w^as after-
wards forced to join these blood-thirsty villains,
who,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 107
1^'ho, by the encouragement of the Pope, had
plundered his dominions, and murdered such
vast multitudes of his subjects, that in Baziers
alone, above GO,0(X) persons were destroyed.
But after all, refusing to surrender his posses-
sions at the command of the Church, he was
again excommunicated. Upon this, he flew to
arms, but was at last obliged to resort to the
tender mercy of the Pope, before whom he
and his son appeared as suppliants. From him
he obtained, that his lands should be given to
his enemies ; and as a great favour, 400 merks
allowed himself for subsistence, on condition of
submitting and acquiescing in his sentence.
The Emperor Henry IV., having been excom-
municated, soon found almost the whole princes
of the empire in arms against him. By an ex-
traordinary act of humility, he therefore en-
deavoured to appease the wrath of the PontifE
In the middle of winter, he took a journey into
kaly, with his wife and a son of two years old.
On arriving at Canopa, where the Pope then
was, he was perm^itted to enter the outer gate,
which w^as immediately shut, and his attendants
excluded. He was then informed, that there
could be no remission for him, unless he re-
mained for a time where he was, in the condition
of a penitent. For three days, therefore, he
continued in the outer court, clothed in mean
apparel, exposed to the cold and snow, bare-
footed.
108 POPERY CONDEAPJED EY
footed, and fasting from morn to night. On
the fourth day, the Pope deigned to admit him
to an audience, at the intercession of the Coun-
tess Matilda, to whom this godly Pope could
deny no favour ; because he always found her
equally condescending. He was then absolved
from th;^ sentence on the following conditions :
" That he should attend a general Council ap-
" pointed by the Pope, to which the German
" pnnces should be also called, and there an-
** swer the accusations presented against him j
*' and likewise, that he should submit to the
" sentence which might then be passed upon
** him : That if he was deprived of his imperial
" dignity by the decrees of the Church, he
" should lieartily acquiesce, and that, whether
" deposed or restored, he should never seek to
" be revenged for any thing done against him :
*• That till his cause be finally decided, he
*' should remain as a private person, by laying
*' aside every mark of royalty, and desisting
'* from all acts of government ; and also con-
*' senting, that every person should be acquit-
*' ted before God and man of their oaths of
"' fideUty to him : That, if he were restored,
" he should be always subject to the Pope, and
" obedient to his orders, and employ all his
*' power, in concurrence with him, to maintain
" the laws and decrees of the Church," &c.
Through the influence of the Pope, the last
days
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 109
days of this monarch were spent in the most
abject misery. Even death could not screen his
ashes from the rage of a Pope, who bore a
much r^reater resemblance to a fiend of hell,
than to the supreme teacher of the doctrine of
Christ.
Such were the use and effects of an excommu-
nication, in these days of darkness when Popery
was in its glory, rejoicing in the bloodshed ot
nations, and the destruction of kings : and the
examples produced are far from singular in the
annals of the Church. If the R. have the least
curiosity to see a farther illustration of this point,
I can present him with the list of a hundred
princes, who have been excommunicated jand
deposed by Popes ; and double that number can
be collected with very little labour.
Another mean, by which the Popes maintain-
ed their authority over princes, was the Inter-
dict. By this, v/hole kingdoms or provinces
were at once deprived of the benefit of the ordi-
nances of reKgion. The clergy were prohibited
from discharging their functions, and every office
of religion ceased, if particular exceptions were
not made by the Pope. In these ages of super-
stition, the interdict seldom failed to be the
scourge of nations and the terror of kings. It
may be easily conceived, that the termination of
all public prayers, preachings, masses, marriages,
and festivals, to have the church and church-
E yard
110 POPERY CO-NDLMNED BY
yard shut up, the altars stript of their orna-
ments, and the very hells, which then were ac-
counted holy, entirely silenced, would occasion
murmurings and insurrections, and thereby re-
duce refractory princes to the most abject sub-
mission.
To maintain this supremacy, every principle
of religion was perverted, and practices the
most turbulent and detrimental to the peace of
society introduced ; and yet the R. affirms,
that " the principle of obedience to the ruling
*' prince, whether a Christian or a heathen, was
** a part of the established doctrine ; a doctrine
*' which our ancestors believed, and reduced to
*' practice in the most trying circumstances *»'*
If, by " our ancestors,*^ he mean the apostles
and primitive Christians, he is perfectly correct ;
but if, the Church of Rome in the following
ages, he is presuming too much upon the igno-
rance of his readers. Vv^hatever may be the
present views and dispositions of Popish clergy-
men, the obedience of their predecessors has
ulv/ays flowed in a channel, which comported
little with the peace of society. If deposing'
princes and transferring their dominions, ab-
solvlnsj their subjects from oaths of allegiance,
and exciting them to revolt and nmrder their
sovereigns, be examples in point, they can be
most amply produced. Ihe archives of every
nation
-^ P. 8.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. HI
nation in Europe, attest the bloody cruelty or
former Popes in the exercise of this supremacy.
Did the R. confess the truth, he would tell,
that these pretenders to religion, having effec-
tuated the establishment of their spiritual supre-
macy, employed it merely as an engine to ad-
vance their temporal interests. After cheating
the nations out of true religion, and fettering
their minds with the most superstitious absurdi-
ties, they enforced their commands with all the
consolations and terrors which their- religion af-
forded, to excite their deluded devotees to the
most savage barbarities. The R, may, if he
please, refer many of the cruelties committed
by Papists to the civil power. But what else
are magistrates, under the influence of the
Romish religion, than the creatures of the
Pope? " There are two swords," says Boni-
face VIIL, " in the power of the church, the
*' spiritual and material : One, which is in the
*' hand of the Pope ; and another, which is in
" the hand of kings and warriors, but whose
" exercise depends on the good pleasure and in-
" dulgence of the Pope.'* Between this decla-
ration and the general conduct of the Popes,
there has subsisted the most harmonious con-
nection. It can be shewn by the most authen-
tic documents, that the assassinations of princes,
the bloody massacres, and the cruel persecutions,
which grace the annals of modern Europe, either
E 2 have
112 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
have been the devices of Popes, or received
their approbation.
Upon this subject, the R. has not judged pro-
per to' enlarge. He only observes, that there
were " some cruelties committed in Queen
" Mary's reign *= ;" and even these, he attempts
to persuade his readers, proceeded from the
cruelty of her disposition, and a sense of the
wrongs which she had received from Protestants.
But did not Mary herself ascribe it to that
gloomy and intolerant religion, to which she
Vvas a bigot ? And were not Popish priests her
abettors and exciters ? He indeed tells us, that
religion was only the pretext for destroying Rid-
ley, Cranmer, and others who had attempted to
deprive her of the succession. Will he inform
us, if the poor old men and women, blind and
lame, who suffered at that time, were burnt by
Mary upon this principle; or if reading the
scriptures, denying transubstantiation, and other
absurd tenets of the Romish Church, were such
high treason against her, as to occasion the con-
signment of many to the flames ? Or will he
deny, that the greatest part of these mart^Ts for
the testimony of Jesus, were taken from the lower
walks of life, and burnt at the stake, amid the
rejoicing and execrations of priests ? Did many
Papists know half of the spirit of that religion
which they profess, they would lend it their
heartiest
* P, 9.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. US
heartiest execrations. But ignorance has beeu
always found in the Romish Church, an excel-
lent preservative in the faith ; and, therefore,
counting a few beads, and mumbling over a few
prayers, is rather enjoined, than the acquisition
of that rational information for which the
mind of man is intended.
But though no person had been persecuted
by Papists in Queen Mary's reign, the declara-
tions of the Church ought to cover the R. with
shame for his misrepresentation. The third
Council of Lateran, at which were present
400 bishops, and 800 abbots and priors, ex-
communicated all who opposed the Catholic
faith, and decreed, " That they should be de-
*' iivered to the secular power, to be punished
*' as they deserve, and their goods confiscated :
*' That all. suspected persons should be laid
*' under an anathema, unless proofs of tlieir
*' innocence appeared ; and if they continued a
*' year under the excommunication, they should
*' be treated as heretics : That lords should be
" advised, and even obliged by ecclesiastical
" censures, to take an oath to exterminate here-
*' tics and excommuicated persons out of their
" lands; and any neglecting to do so should be
" excommunicated by the bishops : and that,
'• wiihin the year, if they gave no satisfaction,
" the Pope should be informed, that he might
" absolve their subjects from allegiance, and
E 3 '' give
H* POPERY COKDEMNED BY
*' give their lands to Catholics." They grant-
ed also exfensive indulgences to all persons, who
would gird up their loins for the destruction of
heretics ; with many other particulars equally
descriptive of the spirit of the Romish religion.
To this, a multitude of similar declarations of
the Church might be added, but at present, I
presume, both the reader and the R. will judge
them superfluous. •
But the Romish Church has not been satisfied
with simple decrees. Heretics are a species of
animals, against which Popes have always en-
tertained the most rooted antipathy. To procure,
therefore, their utter excision, it was no unusual
thing for them to exhibit the dearest consola-
tions of religion as the reward of those who
would engage in this laudable undertaking.
Croisades were proclaimed ; by which, all good
Papists were exhorted to aim at the destruction
of such noxious vermine ; and the gates of
heaven opened to thieves, robbers, murderers,
and sinners of all descriptions, who would only
embrue their hands in the blood of a heretic :
And yet the R. has the audacity to say, " That
•' to accuse the Church of encouraging their
*' punishment is an unfounded slander*." He
tells us of one Spanish friar who preached against
persecution. Why not tell us of innumerable
Popes, and other Papists, who have blown the
trumpet
* P. 24.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHER?. 115
trumpet and drawn the sword, and, by their Influ-
ence and authority, destroyed above fifty millions
of persons, entirely on account of their religious
principles ? In the short space of sixty years,
the Inquisition itself murdered a hundred and
fifty thousand heretics. But he does not, per-
haps, believe that such a tribunal ever existed.
The R., in the bitterness of his spirit, deplores
the burning of the library of Oxford by the
soldiers of Oliver Cromwell. I can tell him for
his comfort, that the hatred of these Protestant
heretics against the Church, did not eAend to
the library of Cambridge ; and though much
ecclesiastical information, treasured up at the
former, was destroyed, there are yec in the lat-
ter many memorials of Popish mercy and loving-
kindness for heretics. Among others, there is
the original Bull of Innocent VIII. for the ex-
tirpation of the Vaudois, by which eight hun-
dred thousand of these poor people were mur-
dered, for believing contrary to the faith of the
Pope. From this, I will present him with a few
extracts, which vi'ill vshew the nature of a Croi-
sade, illustrate the spirit of the Romish religion,
and discover how the godly p^riests of these days
propagated their doctrines.
'^ Innocent the bishop, the servant of the ser-
*' va?2ts of Gcd^ to our weli-beloved son, Albert
" de Capitaiicis, archdeacon of the Church of
". Crcnicna, our nuntio and commissary of the
E 4 " Apostolic
116 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" Apostolic See. — health and apostolic benedic-
" tion
• • •
*' We have heard with great displeasure, that
'* certain sons of iniquity, inhabitants of the
** province of Ambrun, &c. followers of that
'* most pernicious and abominable sect of wucked
'* men called the Poor men of Lions or Waldenses^
" which long ago has damnably risen up iu
'' Piedmont, and other places adjacent, by the
•^ malice of the devil —
" We, therefore, obliged by the duty of our
" pastoral charge, being desirous to pluck
" up and entirely root out from the Catholic
'' Church that execrable sect, and those impious
" errors formerly mentioned, lest they spread
*' farther, and the hearts of the faithful be
''- damnably corrupted by them, and to repress
'' €uch rash and audacious attempts, have re-
** solved to exert every effort J[or this purpose,
*' and to bestow upon it all our care ; And we,
" putting our special trust in God, as to your
*' learning, the maturity of your wisdom, your
*• zeal for the faith, and experience in affairs,
*• and hkewise hoping, that you will execute,
'* with honesty and prudence, all that we have
" judged proper to com^mit to you for extirpa-
'' ting such errors — v/e have thought good to
" appoint you by these presents our nuntio and
" commissary of the Apostolic See, for this
*' cause of God and of the faith.
....*' Moreover,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 117
, . . . " Moreover, to entreat our most dear
** son in Christ, Charles, the illustriaus King
*' of France, and our beloved sons, Charles
*' Duke of Savoy, the dukes, prinqes, earls,
*' and temporal lords of cities, lands, the uni-
" versities of these and other places, the con-
" federates of higher Germany, an-d in general
" all others who are faithful in Christ in these
*' countries, that they take up the shield for the
*' defence of the orthodox faiih of v/hich they
" made profession in receiving holy baptism,
" and of the cause of our Lord Jesus Christ,
" by whom kings reign and princes rule ....
" And that they vehemently and vigorously set
" themselves in opposition to these heretics, for
" the defence of the faith, the safety of their
" country, the preservation of themselves and
*' all that belongs to them ; that so they may
" cause them to perish, and utterly blot them
*' out from the face of the earth,
" And if you think it expedient, that all the
•' faithful in these places should carry the salu-
' tary cross on their hearts and on their gar-
• ments, to animate them to {ight resolutely
• against these heretics, cause preach and publish
' the Croisade by the proper preachers of the
' word of God ; and grant to those who take
' the cross and fight against these heretics, or
' contribute thei'eto, the privilege of a plenary
' indal^ence, and the remission of all their sini:
E 5 * '' once
>18 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
" once in their life, and also at the point of
*'• death, by virtue of the commission given you
" above. Command Hkevi^ise, upon their obedi-
'* ence, and on pain of the greater excommuni-
" cation, all fit preachers of the word of God,
•' secular and regular, of whatever order they
" be, mendicants not excepted, exempt and
" non-exempt, that they excite and inflame
*' these faithful to exterminate utterly, by force
" and arms, that plague ; so that they may
'' assemble with all their strength and powers
" for repelling the common danger ....
. . . . " Moreover, deprive all those, who
•' do not obey your admonitions and mandates,
*' of whatever dignity, state, degree, order, or
" pre-eminence they be ; ecclesiastics of their
*' dignides, offices, and benefices, and secular
*' persons of their honours, titles, fiefs, and
" privileges, if they persist in their disobdience
" and rebellion," &c. &c.
In such a manner was supremacy exercised
by this pretended minister of the God of peace ;
soielv because these Waldenses rejected his
headship, and testified against the prevalent
abominations of the Romish Church. This is
merely a specimen of the illustrat^ions which can
be produced on this point ; and without doubt,
much more would have been afforded us, did
we only enjoy all the records of antiquity. But
this is not the case j and therefore, we can only
execiate
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHUIS. 119
execrate the Gothic barbarity^ of Oliver Crom-
welPs soldiers, who consigned the Oxford libra-
ry to the flames for heresy, and thus deprived
us of " much ecclesiastical information."
But, though there were no other proof of the
civil supremacy, than the manner in which Popes
and Councils have annulled civil oaths and obli-
gations, it would sufficiently shov/ that the
Church arrogates a superior authority. This
fact, the R., in opposition to the plainest testi-
monies of his own Church, and the most unques-
tionable historical records, rejects as groundless,
I will, therefore, produce him the opinions of Pa-
pists, which he may try to reconcile with his own
sentiments; and let him be assured, that his cu-
riosity can be extensively gratified on this part
of the subject, -
" Be it known/' says- Gregory IX., " to all
•' who are under the jurisdiction of those who
" have openly fallen into heresy, that they are
" free from the obligation of fidelity, dominion,
" and every kind of obedience to them ; by
" whatever means or bond they are tied to
** them, and how securely soever they may bo
" bound*."
The Council of Constance, who burnt John.
Huss and Jerome of Prague, certainly possessed
some knowledge of Popish doctrine and practi-
ces j and this was rheir declaration, after mak«
E 6 inr^
O'
* Greg. Deer, p. 2. c. i6.
120 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
ing the emperor break his promise of a safe-con-
duct to these persons, " The holy Synod of
*' Constance declares, concerning every safe-
" conduct granted by the emperor, kings, and
** other temporal princes, to heretics, or persons
'* accused of heresy, in hopes of reclaiming
''• them, that it ought not to be of any prejudice
'* to the Catholic faith, or to the ecclesiastical
*' jurisdiction j nor to hinder such persons from
** being examined, judged, and punished ac-
'* cording to justice, if those heretics refuse to
*' revoke their errors, though they have come
** to the place of judgement relying upon their
'' safe-conduct, and without which they would
" not have come ; and the person, who shall
*' have promised them security, shall not, in
" this case, be obliged to keep his promise, by
'• whatever tie he may have been engaged."
By this, the reader will perceive, what de-
pendence ought to be placed on Popish oaths of
allegiance. The bindings of the Legislature can
easily be untied by absolution of a priest. The
R. attempts to quibble upon this point, by in-
sinuating, that no dispensation can be given to
break a lawful oath. But has the Romish
Church ever taught the obligation of oaths of
:^.ilep-iaace to heretics, and accounted them
" lawful ?'* I ViiW show him how Papists, in
the reign of James VI., took an oath of alle-
fiance ;
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 121
glance ; arid what views were entertained of it
by the Romish Church.
After the discovery of the Gunpowder plot,
it was judged requisite to bind the Popish part
of the community a little more securely. For
this purpose, an oath was framed, which this
king imagined sufficiently strong. But he soon
found, that the consciences of Papists could not
be so easily fastened as he had supposed. Pas-
chenius shewed him a way, by which all their
obligations were speedily cancelled, as the R*
may see by consulting his treatise against the
king. " See," says he, " what simplicity dis-
" covers itself in the midst of so much cunning.
" When he had placed all his security in that
" oath, he thought it knit with so many circum-
" stances, that it could not, with a safe coft-
" science, be dissolved by any man. But he
" could not see, that if the Pope dissolved it, all
" its tyings, whether of fidelity to the king, or
" of admitting no dispensation, would be dis-
'* solved together. Yea, I will say another thing
" which is more admirable. You know, Isup-
" pose, that afi unjust oath^ if it be evidently
*' known or openly declared to be such, bind-
*' eth no man, but is ipso facto null. Ihat the
"king's oath is unjust, hath been sufficiently
'• declared by the pastor of the church him-
" self. You see, therefore, that the obligation
" of it has vanished into smoke j sa that the
*• bond,.
i2'J ' POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" bond, which so many wise men thd\ight to be
^^ of iron, is become less than a straw.'*
I would not, however, be thought, by this
view of, Romish principles, to charge the Pa-
pists of Nova Scotia with disloyalty. To the
views of that part of the community, I am an en-
tire stranger. But, till the Church of .Rome
come forward collectively, and abjure her former
opinions, their loyalty is at v/ar with the prin-
ciples of their religion ; and the Legislature can
only consider them like Samson at the millstones.
The practices of that Church afford the most
ample grounds for this assertion. Former Popes
have been no strangers to dissolving oaths of al-
legiance, promises, and obligations. " To the
*' intent," says Martin IV., in his Bull against
tlip king of Arragon, " that our threatenings be
** not contemned j by this sentence, passed with
'* the advice of our brethren the cardinals, we
" deprive Peter III. of the kingdom of Arragon,
'* of all his other territories, and of the royal
*' dignity ; and w^e expose his estates to be pos-
*' sessed by the Catholic princes, as the Holy
*' See shall dispose of them; declaring his sub-
*' jects absolved from iheir oath of fideUt\j»^^
Henry I. of England, hesitating to break a
promise which he had made, was told by Calix-
tu3 II., that he was Pope, and would absolve
him. To this the monarch replied, that though
the Pope might have power to absolve haii, ho
did
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. i'2o
did not think it fit to break his word. Hetlry
IL, however, was not so scrupulous. He recei*
ved a dispensation to break his father's will, and
thereby dispossessed his brother GeolFry of the
kingdom of Anjou.
Clement VI. granted to King John of Franco
and his queen a very extensive indulgence to
break vows and promises : *' With the excep-
*' tion of vows ultramarine to the blessed apostles,
" Peter and Paul, and of chastity and conti«
'* nence, to exchange such vows as they had al-
*' ready made or might make, and also such
" oaths as had been or might be taken by them
*' and their successors in all time coming, which
" fhe^ could not conveniently keep^ for other
" works of piety, which vshould appear to their
" confessor expedient, toward God and for the
*' peace of their souls *."
The case of Moses Charas, a French physi-
cian of eminence in the 17th century, presents
an example of supremacy and of perfidious base-
ness, which can be equalled only by other parts
of the conduct of the Romish Church. On ac-
count of the persecutions in France, he was ob-
liged to remove to England, where he was ho-
nourably received' by the king. Afterwards he
settled at Amsterdam, and practised with great
esteem in that city. The Spanish ambassador
there endeavoured to persuade him to attend his
master.
.£-1* rOP£RY CONDEMNED EY
master, who at that time was very infirm. When
the doctor hesitated through fear of the Inquisi-
tion, the ambassador, assured him of protection,
and carried him and his family along with him
to Madrid. But he did not continue bng there,
till he was delivered up to these heresy-hunters,
and saved himself from the flames, only by re-
nouncing his religion.
By these observations, the reader will be able
to judge whether the Romish Church approve
of keeping faith with heretics, Mr Burke and
the R., in saying that it ought to be kept, belie
both the principles and practices of their prede-
cessors in religion. " Be assured,'' says Martin
v., in an epistle to Alexander, Duke of Lithua-
nia, " thou sinnest mortally, if thou keep thy
" faith with heretics." " And justly," says
bishop Simancha, " were some heretics burnt by
** the most solemn judgement of the Council of
** Constance, though they had been promised
" security *."
As Mr Burke's exposition of this particular is
very curious, I will present it to the reader.
*' 'Tis also necessary," says he, " to disclaim
'* this position, that no faith is to be kept with
" heretics ; no Catholic, nor any other man oi
*' common sense, ever believed it. . . . The in-
*' discretion of a Cardinal, and the ignorance of
" an Irish Prelate of the EstabUshed Church,
*' g-ave
* Instit. tit. 45. stct. 52.
SCRIPTUIiE AXD THE FATHERS. 125
*' crave occasion to the insertion of this clause :
*' The Cardinal in a private letter said, that crC'
'' dit was not to be given to the words of heretics^
*' a most indecent and groundless assertion ; the
" letter was published, and the Prelate through
'* mere ignorance mistaking the Cardinal's mean-
*' ing, translated the phrase in a sense which
" was not intended, and which the words can-
*' not bear : A child at the Grammar School
" would have told the Prelate, that non estf.des
*• habenda hereticis, the Cardinal's words signify
'* simply, that credit is not to be give?! to heretics y
" which was the sense intended by the Cardinal,
*' not that faith is not to be kept with heretics ^
'* the Prelate's version *."
With all due deference to Mr Burke's opinion,
he ought to have possessed either a little more
knowledge or candour, before he pretended to
discuss this point. He ought to have known,
that to keep no faith with heretics has for a long
time been a maxim faithfully believed and prac-
tised in the Romish Church ; and also, that the
phrase, which he has either ignorantly or cun-
ningly produced, does not exhibit the doctnne
of the Church of Rome in its true colours. In-
decent as the expression of this cardinal may be,
it is modesty itself when compared with the con-
duct of the Council of Constance, and many
other Popish clergymen, and also with the ex-
pressions
* Letter of Instruct, p. 20. 2i.
1^6 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
pressions which have been used to illustrate this
doctrine. He niust be a very ignorant priest in-
deed, uho does not know, that the phrase used
by the Church is not " non est fides habenda
" hereticis/' but " -non est fides servanda here-
*' ticis ;" and the latter would be translated by
a boy at the grammar-school, in the usual way.
Of the real existence of this doctrine in the
Church, and likewise of the mode of expression,
the following authorities may convince him.
" Fides hereticis data servanda non est : Faith
** given to heretics is not to be kept *."
'' Si tyrannis piratis et ceteris praedonibus,
*' fides servanda non est, qui corpus occidunt,
" longe minus hereticis pertinacibus qui occidunt
" animas.— If faith ought not to be kept with
*' tyrants, pirates, and other plunderers who
" kill the body, far less with obstinate heretics
*' who destroy souls f.'*
" Hereticis datam fidem servandam non esse
" intelligo, cum data fides est ad detrinientum
" fidei catholicas.— Faith given to heretics ought
*' not to be kept, that is, faith given to the de-
" triment of the catholic faith J."
P^enochius, a Roman Canonist, also asserts^
" That the safe-conduct granted by princes in
" cases of heresv is unlawful, because the infe-
"■ rior'* (as he supposes all princes to be to the
Pope)
. * Simancha Instit. tit. 46. sect. 51. f Id. ibid.
X Placa Epit. delict, llb.i. c. 37.
SCRIPTURE AXD THE FATHERS. 127
Pope) " cannot secure them who are condemn-
*' ed by the superior ; and therefore, the Coun-
*' cil of Constance did well in annulling the safe
'* conduct granted to heretics *."
Cardinal Hosiiis told Henry, King of Poland,
' That he ought not to keep the faith given to
" the Protestants, for this reason, that an oath
" ought not to be a bond of iniquity f."
The same excellent doctrine is inculcated by
Andreas Philopa^or, who says, " That the whole
" school of divines, (and that is a goodly com-
** pany), teaches, and it is a thing certain, and
" of the faith, that any Christian prince, if he
" manifestly apostatize from the religion of the
*' Catholic Rv man Church, and attempt to draw
** others from it, does, by the law of God and
*' man, fall* from all power and authority ; and
*' all his subjects are free from the obligation of
*' any oath of obedience and loyalty to him 5
'* and they may, and ought to cast such a one
" out of his power, as an apostate and a heretic,
*' lest he infect others |."
From these particulars, the reader will learn
what civil supremacy has been claimed by Popes.
Before the R., therefore, again attempt to per-
suade the world that they never arrogated any
such authority, he must let the memory of my-
riads of martyrs, whom the Romish Church, by
her
* Lib. 1. Concil. 100. n. 227. 228. f fP*^^^* ^93*
t Resp. p. 1 49-^57-
128 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
her cruelty, has hastened to their habitation a-
round the throne of God, be forgotten. The
Pope, it is true, does not now possess any such
power ; nor is it at all probable that he ever will.
These kings, who "- gave their power to the
*• beast,'* are gone ; and another race sprung
up, v/ho are not likely to trust their authority
into hands who made such a beastly use of it.
The declining condition of the Romish Church
will soon terminate in eternal dissolution. The
hour of God's judgement is approaching, when
Babylon shall fall, and be found no more :
" They have shed the blood of saints and pro-
*' phets, and thou hast given them blood to
" drink ; for they are worthy. Even so. Lord
" God x\l mighty, true and righteous are thy
*' judgements*."
CHAP. V.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE R.'s SCRIPTURAL
NOTES OF THE TRUE CHURCH ; INDEFECTA-
BILITY, PERPETUAL VISIBILITY, UNIVERSA-
LITY, AND INFALLIBILITY.
i T must be of considerable, importance m reli-
gion to ascertain the true Church. By the or-
dinances
* Rev. xvi. 6. 7.
SCRIPTURE AND TPIE FATHERS. 129
dinances of religion dispensed there, the best in-
terests of man arc promoted ; for with these the
divine presence is connected, and that blessing
which" makes rich for eternity. On this account,
*' seeking the way to Zion" becomes the exer-
cise of those persons, whose views are directed
beyond the Hmits of time. For the direction of
such, the R. has specified certain notes, by which
the Church may be distinguished from every
other society. These are indefectabiUty, per-
petual visibility, universality, and infallibility.
Since the days of his great friend and fellow-
champion Bcjilarmine, the Church appears to
have lost many of her distinguishing character-
istics. That celebrated hater of heretics counted
fifteen ; but perhaps the R. considered many of
these as scarcely applicable to the present state
of the Church of Rome, and therefore through
prudence omitted them. As they were formerly
given for the confirmation of the simple, and the
direction of wanderers, he will permit me to ex-
hibit them for the benefit of a country in which
there are so many^heretics. ] . The name Ca-
tholic. 2. Antio^uity. 3. Duration. 4. Am-
plitude. 5, Succession of bishops. 6. Agree-
ment in doctrine with the primitive church. 7.
Union of the members among themselves, and
with the head. 8. Sanctity of doctrine. 9. hf-
ficacy of doctrine. JO. Holiness of life. 11.
The glory of miracles. 12. The light of pro-
phecy.
130 POPERY CONDEMNLD BY
phecy. 13. Confession of adversaries. 3 4. The
unhappy end of the enemies of the Church.
15, Temporal felicity *.
According to Bellannine, wherever these notes
exist, there is the true Church, or, to express
his meaning more ^perspicuously, there is the
Church of Rome, which, he and the R. very
naturally suppose, possesses the only claim to
truth, A short review of these notes would e-
vince the contrary. At present, the reader may
be'* satisfied w-ith comparing the 15th, temporal
felicity, with the doctrine of Christ. That is es-
sentially necessary to the existence of the church,
because the Saviour has said, " In the world ye
" shall have tribulations f." On the contrary,
persons, who are persecuted, " afflicted and tor-
*' ment-fd," for conscience sake, smell rankly of
heresy ; for it is said of those who are before the
throne and before the Lamb, " These are they
" who came out of great tribulation |."
His illustration of the notes of the true Church,
the R. has prefaced with the following observa-
tions. " He does not enquire whether the
" Church of Christ be the Roman Church, or
" the English Church, or a Church of any other
" denomination : such an enquiry is useless : for
" if it be incontrovertibly true that the Church
" of Christ is and was perpetually visible, since
" the publication of the new law on the day of
*' Pentecost,
* De Not. Eccles. f John, xvi. ^^, X l^^v. vii. 14.
SCRIPTURE AND Tl4E FATHERS. 131
*' Pentecost, all the diflerent societies, which
*• hav6 since been formed ; all the Churches
*' whose commencement is fixed by Catholics to
*' a later date, and admitted by the members of
*' these Churches to have commenced at that
*' tim.e in their present form, are manifestly no
*' parts nor portions of the one Church of Christ,
*' at all times, and without any cessation, vi-
*' sible *."
Such an inquiry is not so useless as the R.
supposes. When Papists begin to fix dates,
Protestants do not always acquiesce in the accu-
racy of their chronology. No Protestant Church,
which proceeds on scriptural principles, acknow-
ledges a commencement at a later date than the
days of the apostles. We maintain, that we
have only reassumed our original form., after
having been transformed into the image of the
beast. We also consider the present state of the
Church of Rome as a decisive proof of her an-
tichristian condition ; and by taking the R, upon
his ov/n principles, we can prove her to be no
Church of Christ. All Churches whose present
form commenced at a later date, he affirms, are
no part of the one Church of Christ. Will he
say then, that the Romish Church has subsisted
in her present form since the day of Pentecost,
with all her offices, as popes, cardinals, patri-
archs, archbishops, bishops, archdeacons, dea-
cons,
* P. 109. lie.
132 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
cons, abbots, priests, monks, friars, nuns, kc,
&c. ? Or with her various orders, such as Au-
gustlnes, Carmelites, Franciscans, Dominicans
with alU their subdivisions. Cordeliers, Recol-
lects, Capuchins, Penitents, the Mitigated, the
Reformed, and whole legions of Maturins, Tri-
nitarians, Minims, Celestines, Servites, Jesuites,
Barnabites, Theatines, Lazarites, Benedictines,
Bernardines, Fathers of the Christian doctrine,
Friars of Charity, and a multitude of other or-
ders which have desolated the earth ? Was the
Church then in the possession of all her present
means of salvation ; such as holy water, holy
candles, and holy grease ? (Jr did the apostle
Peter, in sending the inferior clergy upon a
preaching-excursion, dispatch with them a few
heresy-hunters from his Inquisition, that j:he
*' smiple faithful" might frequently enjoy an
Auto de Fe, and be delighted with the torments
and savoury smell of roasting heretics ? Till the
R. has settled these points, we may proceed to
an examination of his notes of the Church.
I. Indefectaeility.
By indefectability the R. means, that the
Church of Christ has always enjoyed, and will
continue to pc^ssess, an uninterrupted existence
to the end of time. To prove this point, he has
produced a number of quotations from scripture.
He
SCRIP lUKE AKD Tifh: FATHERS. 13^3
He might, however, have saved himself this
trouble, had he only recollected that we Protest-
ants are as strenuous supporters of this doctrine
as the Romish Church. The Lord Jesus Christ,
we believe, will always have a seed to serve him,
whom he will preserve as the apple of his eye ;
and we consider it as one of the principal conso-
lations of religion in declining times, that he will
again build up Zion, and appear in his glory.
But we will not be so ready to grant the conse-
quences, which he pretends to deduce from this
doctrine. Tliough we receive the declarations
of scripture without hesitation, we proceed with
the assertions of men upon logical principle:^,
and never adrxiit a conclusion, till we have exa-
mined its premises.
As a proof of the indefectability of the Church,
he produces the following words of Isaiah,
'• Every weapon which is formed against thee
" shall miss, and every tongue which rises in
** judgement against thee, thou shalt condemn."
And then he draws from them this conclusion.
*' If the first reformer had weighed well the
*' force of this oromise, he would have seen that
*' as he himself did not compose the Church to
" which ' the promise was made, his opposition
*' to her established doctrine placed him evident-
''• ly among these tongues, v/hich rise up in
'• judgement against her, and that of course she
" would condemn him. This reasoning is ap-
F " plicable
134 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' pllcable to every innovator, who has formed a
" party since the apostles' days. The argument
" is insoluble if the Ex. will admit that the pro-
" mise was made to the Catholic Church ; if he
" denies it, let him assign some other Church
*' visible since the Apostles days, without inter-
" ruption or intermission *,"
Though the Church of Rome has condemned,
and laid her murderous fangs, as often as she
could, upon those who differ from her in senti-
ment, it is no evidence that she is the Church of
the Prince of peace. The R.'s argument, with
all its bindings, is not so insoluble as he imagines.
With a very sm.all portion of penetration, he
might have seen, that his reasoning, if it deserves
the name, must appear inconclusive to Protest-
ants, who oppose the very principle's upon which
it is founded. Though Papists have arroi^ated
to themselves the name of Catholic, we have
neither granted, nor has he proven, the Romish
Church to be exclusivelv the catholic or univer-
sal Charch, to whicii ihe promise was made.
We have as ii'"ti»Txkni>wledged ourselves no
pait ol this catholic Church, or allowed the ne-
cessity of iis visibility without interruption or in-
termission. On the contrary, we are persuaded,
that both our f iih and practice are founded upon
the word of God; which is more than can be
said for many of the doctrines and unmeaning
cere monies,
* P. ii;.
SCRIPiUKE AND THE FATHERS. 135
ceremonies, which Papists have grafted upon
religion. We hope also to witness the faithful-
ness of God in our preservation ; and as yet, we
have certainly reason to view the operations of
his providence as a confirmation of our faitii.
Notwithstanding the bloody persecutions of the
Romish Church, by which millions of our an-
cestors have been persecuted to the death, the
Reformation, so congenial to both the religious
and civil interests of society, is not only preser-
ved, but extending its benign influences over
these very countries which most furiously oppo-
sed it. We are also persuaded, that a religion,
which tends to fetter the minds of men with ig-
norance and superstition, must be repugnant to
the designs of Thrist, who expands the hearts of
his people by informing th>':ir judgement. What-
ever, therefore, may be our ciiarity for indivi-
duals of the Romish Church, we consider her
coif ctively, as the enemy of mankind ; and we
view the operations of God, as hastening the ap-
pro^.ch of that period, when the friends of Christ
shall johi in halleluias, on beholding the smoke
of her torment ascending up for ever and ever.
T.ll the R., therefore, has proven that the Pro-
testant Churches and other existing societies of
Christians are no parts of the '^ one" Church of
Christ ; till he has shewm that the Romish
Church is exclusively so, and also that the
F2 Church
iS6 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
Church must be perpetually visible, we must
resist his conclusion respecting all reformers.
By this doctrine of indefectability, he thinks
he has completely overturned the whole Refor-
mation. " The first reformers," says he, "did
*' not even pretend that there was a kingdom or
*' state, a city, town, or country village on
'* earth, in which the reformed doctrine was
" taught before their own time *." Upon this
doctrine he founds the exulting inquiry, " What
'• became of Christ's kingdom before that invin-
'* cible hero Martin Luther reinstated him en
*' his throne f ?'"
Whom he means by the " first" reformers,
I am at a loss to determine. It will be difficult
for him to 'Specify a period, in which there were
none who testified against Papil usurpations and
other pollutions of the Romish Church. If he
mean Protestant reformers, he discovers ihe most
contemptible ignorance or misrepresentatibn.-—
Our ancestors always declared their doctrine
founded upon the scriptures, and agreeable to
the faith of the primitive Church. They uni-
versany appealed to scripture, and showed from
the writings of the first ages, the antiquity of
their opinions. So far frimi broaching new doc-
trines, they often appealed to a free Council,
which the Pv:peSj afraid of the consequences,
would never allow them. Many of them have
a.so
* P. 121. f P. 120.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. lb i
also shewn in the plainest manner, that the
Church of God in every age had witnesses for
the truth of their opinions. Let the R. consuU
Flaccius lUyricus' Catalogue of Witnesses for the
truth informer ages, and it will show him what
doctrines have been taught even in the Romisli
Church before the Reformation. Let him re-
collect the Waldenses, the Wicklimtes, the Hus-
sites, and many others -who existed before Lu-
ther, and then examine himself, if he be not
propping a system of iniquity with falsehood.
A very easy answer, then, can be given to his
inquiry, " What became of Christ's kingdom
" before that invincible hero Martin Luther re-
'* instated him on his throne .?" Does the R.
know where the tares were, when the wheat was
springing up ? It existed among those who, long
before the Protestant reformation, opposed the
corruptions of the Romish Church, and it exist-
ed in part even in that society. Notwithstanding
the unscriptural doctrines and practices of the
Church of Rom.e, there v;ere always some of
her members who deplored the general depra-
vity, and bare open witness to many truths of
religion. But though these continued in her
communion, our ancestors were under no obli-
gation to sacrifice the rights of conscience and
the honour of Christ, by ceasing to attempt a
reformation ; and when they were unjustly case
out of that Church, they considered it as their
F 3 indifpensible
J38 POP Era' CONDEMNED BY
indispensible duty to disregard her censures, and
oppose her corruptions as far as their influence
extended.
Nor were they in this case, as the R. imagines,
chargeable with schism. His reasoning on this
subject is very curious indeed. He produces a
quotation from the seventh Article of the Church
of England, which says, " That there is a holy
'' Church which will remain for ever, but the
'' Church is the assembly of Saints." Upon
this he observes, " That it is manifestly subver-
" sive of the whole reformation ; on it Catholics
*' proposed some very embarrassing questions,
" to which no satisfactory ansv^^er has been, or
*' ever will be given : If^ said they, the Church
*' be holy why do you pretend that their is super-
" stitio7i and idolatry taught and practised in it?
'* Idolatry and sanctity are as opposite as light
'* and darkness. If the Church be the Assem-
" bly of Saints, why do ygu separate yourself
" from it ? to separate yourself from the Assem-
" bly of the Saints is to acknowledge yourselves
" impious ■^\"
The R. observes with great propriety, that no
satisfactory answer has been given to these ques-
tions. Nothing will " satisfy" the Church of
Rome but the return of Protestants to the old
vomit and puddle. of filth, from which they have
emerged. They have, however, received many
quieting
* P. 109.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 139
quieting replies; as many a sturdy polemic, be-
fore the R.'s days, has experienced. When the
framers of the Thirty-nine Articles said, " There
" is a holv Church which will remain for ever,"
did they add, that this was to be understood of
the Church of Rome ? Where, then, is the
foundation of the R.'s queries ? To show him
for what kind of holiness that Church is famous,
I will produce him the sentiments of a few Po-
pish wTiters.
" They prefer,'' says St. Bernard, " little
*' school-boys and young children to Church-
" dignities, on account of the nobility of their
*' birth ; so that you may see those, who have
*' just escaped from the birch, go to command
" priests. They seem more fit to run from a
" rod, than to be employed in government ; for
" they are far more sensible of the pleasure of
*' freedom from their masters, than of becoming
*' masters themselves. These are their first
" thoughts ; but afterwards growing more bold,
" they very soon learn the act of appropriating
" the altars to themselves, and of emptying the
'* purses of those who are under them, without
" going to any other school than their ambition
'* and covetousness *."
" How few," says Nicholas de Clemangis,
" can be found at present among those that are
" raised to the episcopal grandeur, who have
F 4 *' either
* r.p. 42.
M-0 POPERY CO.nDEiMNED HY
'' either read or know how to read the hoiy
" scriptures. . . . They have never touched any
" other part of the Bible than the cover, though
'' they swear at their instahiient that they know
" it all * :" And, says the same avithor, " The
•■* Church, which Jesus Christ has chosen for
'* his spouse without spot- and blemish, is in
• these days a warehouse of ambition and busi-
•' ness, of theft and rapine. The sacraments,
" and all orders, even that of (he priests, are
'* exposed fo sale. For money, they bestow fa-
■' vours, dispensations, licences, offices, and be-
'' nefices. They sell the pardon of sins, masses,
'• and the very administration of our Lord's bo-
^' dy. If any person desire a bishoprick, he
*' need only get himself furnished with money;
'• yet not a little sum, but a great one, must
'- purchase such a great title. He need only
^' empty his purse to obtain the dignity which he
•* seeks ; but he may soon fill it again advan-
■' tageously, by more ways than one. If any
-' one wish to be made a prebendary or a priest
" of any church, or to have any other charge,
" it is of no consequence whether his merit, his
" life, or his manners be known ; but it is very
'* requisite that it should be known, how much
'* money he has gotten ; for his hopes will sue-
'* ceed only in proportion to his cash f."
" The Court of Rome," says Eneas Sylvius,
" gives
* De Coir. Stat. Eccles. f De Presu!.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 141
" gives nothing without money. It sells the
*■' very imposition of hands, and the gifts of the
"• Holy Ghost. It will give pardon of sins to
*' none, but such as will part with their mo-
'•' ney*."
" With shame and sensible displeasure," says
the cardinal of Lorraine, in an oration to the
Council of Trent, «' I mention the lives we have
*' led:" And the complaint of the Duke of
Bavaria's ambassador before the sam^ Council
shows, that the cardinal had some reason for
saying so. He toid them, " That he could not
•' describe the horrible wickedness of the clergy,
" without offending the chaste ears of the au-
" dience ; and that 'the correction of doctrinal
" points would be vain, unless they first cor- /
" rected their manners : That they were infa-
" mous for their luxury ; and, though the civil
*■• magistrate did not suffer any layman to have
'* a concubine, it was so common among the
" clergy, that there could not be found above
" three or four out of a hundred priests, who
" did not keep whores, or were unmarried."
Does the R. think these Popish quotations de-
scribe " a Holy Church which will remain for
■'' ever?"
But, even allowing the Romish Church to be
the Church of Christ which has holiness as a cha-
racteristic, Protestants may still have good rea^
F 5 son>
*' Epist Lib, 1. ep. 66.
142 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
son to charge her with superstition and idolatry.
Israel appear to have been guilty of " some'*
superstitious idolatry ; and yet God acknow-
ledged their relation to him as a Church, " My
** people ^^^ says he, " ask counsel at their
" stocks .... They sacrifice upon the tops of
'• the mountains, and burn incense upon the
*' hills*,*'
But the R.'s second question is still more in-
significant. " If the Church,'* says he, " be
" the Assembly of the Saints, why do you sepa-
*' rate yourselves from it ?" Let him bethink him-
self whether Protestants separated themselves,
or were unjustly cast out of the Romish Church.
When our ancestors discovered the abominations
that were practised under the mask of religion,
ought they to have quieted their consciences
with the consideration, that it was the Church
who did them? They saw it their duty to at-
tempt a removal of them ; and they took the
regular steps for this purpose. But the Church
of Rome justified her pollutions, by treating
then> as the rulers of the Jews did the first dis-
ciples of Christ ; and our ancestors only imita-
ted the conduct of the latter when cast out of
the synagogue. It is the Church of Rome,
therefore, that is chargeable with schism. Our
ancestors were expelled from her communion,
solely fQr an adherence to the truths of religion;
and
* Hos. Iv. 12. iq.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 143
and therefore, we have the best right to say, that
we are the Church of Christ, and to claim that
indefectabihty from which the R . attempts to ex-
clude us.
But, by taking him upon his own ground of
indefectability, it can be easily proven, that the
Church of Rome has no claim at all to be the
Christian Church. Bellarmine informs us, that
the true Church subsists only, where there is a
union of the members with the head. In this
case, the want of a head must be as great a de-
fect, as a want of members. In either case the
Church must be entirely annihilated ; and many
periods can be specified, in which there was no
Pope.
Since the R. thinks a continuation of the
same form necessary to the indefectability of the
Church, let me ask him, where his Church was
before the Council of Trent ? Was Leo the
Great for receiving the Eucharist only in cnekind?
Did Gregory the Great support the worship of
images, and " the proud, profane, and Anti-
christ ian title" of universal bishop ? Was Pope
Gelasius a defender of transubstantiation ?. Were
St. Cyprian^ St. Augustine, the Council of
Chalcedon, and the African bishops, for appeals
to Rome, and submission to the Pope's jurisdic-
tion ? If not, what right has he to appropriate
indefectability to the Romish Church ? since he
has Uid it down as a principle, that all Churches,
F G whick
]4i< POPERY CONDEMNED BY
which have not retained the same form from the
day of Pentecost, are manifestly no parts nor
portions of the one Church of Christ.
»
II. Perpetual Visibility.
What has been already observed, will shov/
the reader, that the establishment of this doc-
trine proves at least as much for Protestants, as
for the Romish Church. We do not pretend
to have commenced our ecclesiastical existence
in the days of Luther ; we trace it to the exhi-
bition of the first promise of mercy. If the R.
can then show the perpetual visibility of the
Romish Church, he proves our existence before
the reformation. And since that period, proofs
are unnecessary. These paroxisms of rage, into
which he is thrown by the very names of our
reforming ancestors, shew, that he thinks us still
existing in real earnest.
Though I have no intention at present to con-
trovert his doctrine of perpetual visibility, I can-
not help observing, that his view of it is entire-
ly unscriptural. By raking together a few pas-
sages of scripture which describe .the Church in
her periods of splendour, he figures to liimself
a visibility, which has no existence but in his
own imagination. Of this, the follov/ing pas-
sage may serve as an illustration; ''And it
" shall come to pass in the last days^ that the moun-
" tain
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 145
" tain of the Lord's house shall be established in
" the top of the mountains^ and shall be exalted
** above the hills ^ .... The prophet in terms
*' strongly expressive as language can ailbrd an-
" nounces the visibility of Christs Church.
" Nothing can be more visible than a mountain
" elevated on the summit of mountains, the
" man must be blind indeed, who does not see
If the desire of establishing a particular sys-
tem had not perverted the R.'s judgement, he
would have seen that these words are far from
appHcable to every state of the Church. Does
his doctrine of visibility apply to the days of
Elijah ? or to that period, when " Israel were
" without the true God, and without a teaching
" priest, and without the law t ?" Will he de-
clare the Church of Rome to have been as vi-
sible during the ten persecutions, as at the
Council of Constance ? Both Protestants and
Papists, I believe, m.aintain with the apostle
Paul, that the appearance of Antichrist is con-
nected with a general apostacy ; and should not
that affect the-visibihty of the Church ? Will he
show us how much visibility she possessed, when
the wings of a great eagle were given her to fly
into the wilderness ? or let him measure its extent
by the words o^ Christ, " When the Son of man
" Cometh, shall he find faith on the earth J ?''
To
* P. no. f 2 Chron. xv. 3. | Luke, xviii. 8.
146 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
To shew hini how inconsistent his views are
with truth, and even with the views of Papists,
I will shew him what some have taught concern-
ing the visibility of the Church.
" The whole faith of the Church," says Ock-
am, '' may remain in one person, as it did in the
** blessed Virgin at the time of our Lord's pas-
" sion. If God permitted this in the days of
" the apostles, he will much sooner permit it in
" these latter ages*/'
" It is possible," says Panormitan, " that the
" faith of Christ may remain in one person
" only. At the passion of our Saviour, it re-
" mained only in the blessed Virgin ; and on
*• this account, perhaps, the Gloss says, Where^
'* e-ver good men are^ there is the Church o
'* Ro?iie'[r
Many more divines of the Romish Church
can be produced to the same purpose. But
these Yv'ill suffice to show the R., that a person
may lose his view of the Church, and yet not
be chargeable with blindness. If there be
times, in which " the mountain of the house
*' of the Lord shall be exalted," there are
others, in which '* the city shall be low in a
*' low place J."
III. Uni-
* Dial. p. I. lib. 2. c. 25. f In Cap. Signif. de Elect.
X Isa. xxxi"it 19.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. H7
III. Universality.
Protestants, as well as Papists, are per-
suaded that the Church of Christ is catholic or
universal. I have, therefore, no intention to
controvert the scriptural proofs which he has
adduced in defence of this doctrine. In the
course of his reasoning, however, he has com-
mitted one trifling mistake. He has forgotten
to shew, that these promises of universality,
which have been made to the Christian Church,
are only applicable to the Church of Rome.
He seems to have viewed it as an uncontrovert-
ed principle, that the Romish and the Catholic
Church are synonymous expressions. But
though Papists have arrogated to themselves this
title, and Protestants have sometimes called them
Roman Catholics to distinguish them from
others, we never believed them to be the uni-
versal Church. Many of us, on the contrary,
have maintained them to be no Church at all.
His reasoning, when divested of circumlocution,
is this, " If you allow us Papists to be the
*' Catholic Church, I will prove that promises
" of universality are made us in the scrip-
*' tures."
According to the R.'s own language, the
Romish Church is destitute of that universality
which he attempts to claim for her. " In these
" texts
• 148 PO?£RY CONDEMNED BY
" texts and others similar of the Old Testa-
'* ment,*' says he, " the universality of Christ's
" Church is so distinctly foretold, that 'tis an
" article inserted in the baptismal creed, com-
'* monly called the apostles creed : / believe .in
" the Holy Catholic Church. That this univer-
** sality includes both tirae and place ....
" we shall presently see ■^" Can the R., then,
specify a period, in which the Romish Church
possessed a universality of place ? Have her
tenets been propagated in every nation on earth?
If not, why does he claim for her the title of
the Catholic Church ? A httle reflection would
have shewn ^ him, ^that many of the scriptures,
by which he attempts to illustrate this point,
are applicable only to these days, when the
whole earlh shall be filled with the glory of the
Lord ; and therefore, can be no distinguishing
characteristic of the Church of Christ in her
present situation. ^
IV. Infallibility.
In what infallibility consists, we are informed
in the 1 25th page of the Remarks : " 'Tis mani-
*' fest to any man, who reasons, who is not
" totally blinded by prejudice or party spirit,
'' that this promise of Christ t must exclude
" for ever from his Church the lightest shade
" of
* P. HI. f Mat. .wl. 1 8.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 149
** of error. This is what we Catholics under-
" stand by infallibility.*'
The establishment of this doctrine is of the
last importance to Papists. Without it, they
have no resting place for the sole of their foot,
even in the scriptures themselves. Of this, the
R. is sensible j and, therefore, he labours hard
to prove its existence. Before entering upon
an examination of his proofs, it may be proper
to inquire, where this prerogative is lodged, and
to whom it belongs.
Upon this point, the R. has been very expli-
cit. *' Some 1750 years ago,'' says he, " 'twas
*' a settled doctrine that infallibility in doctrinal
" decisions is claimed by the body of the Pas-
" tors united to their head on the promise of
• Jesus Christ to be with them till the end of
" time. Mat. iilt, and the assistance of the
" Holy Ghost who was sent to teach them all
*' truth. — John xvi. 13. On this article of doc-
" trine there never was a shade of disagreement
" among Catholics *."
This point, which, he says, has been settled
so many ages ago, appears, like other sublunary
things, to have undergone various revolutions
since that period. Infallibility has been some-
times claimed by Councils, and sometimes by
Popes ; and Protestants have not hesitated here-
tically to declare, that it belonged to neither.
Upon
* P. 69.
150 POPERY CONDEMNED SY
Upon this point, I will produce a few Popislr
opinions, which the R. may compare with his.
own sentiments.
By a decree of the Council of Constance, it
was declared, " That this Council had its power
" immediately from Jesus Christ ; and that even
*' the Pope was bound to obey it/' This de-
cree was also confirmed by the Council of
Basil, who, after suspending Eugenius from all
Papal jurisdiction, emitted the following declara-
tions : " I. That the power of a general Coun-
*' cil, representing the universal Church, over
" the Pope and every other person, declared by
*' the general Council of Constance and this of
" Basil, is a truth of the Catholic faith. 11.
*' That the Pope has no authority to dissolve,
*' prorogue, or transfer from one place to ano-
" ther, a general Council, without their con-
*'• sent, is a truth of the Catholic faith. IIL He
" is to be esteemed a heretic, who pertinacious-
*' ly opposes these two aforesaid truths'*.''
On the contrary, it is maintained in the decre-
tals, " That the Pope can be judged by none ;
t' that his judgement, whether respecting faith,
*' manners, or discipline, ought U; be preferred
" to all things ; and that nothing is true except
*' what he approves, and eve.'y thing which he
*' condemns is false !•"
*• We can believe nothing," says Lewis Cap-
sensis,
* Sess. 38. f P. I. dist. 19. c. i. 4.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. * 151
sensis, " unless we believe with a dlvliie faith,
*' thp.t the Pope is the successor of St. Peter and
'^ infallible*.''
'' It depends on the pleasure of the Pope,"
says Baronius, " to ratify decrees and alter them
" when ratified f."
*' The Pope," says Bellarmine, " is absolutc-
'* ly above the Cathohc Church and above a
" general Council ; so that he has no judge a-
" bove hnn on earili J."
The R. may also recollect, that the Pope
classed it among the scandalous and heretical
opinions of Luther, " That any one should
" maintain a doctrine contrary to his sentiments,
*' while he waited for the decision of a general
" Council.'*
These are a sample of Popish opinions re-
spectinf^^ the seat of infallibility ; and yet the R.
affirms, that " on this article of doctrine, there
" never was a shade of disagreement among
" Catholics.'' The jarring opinions of Popes
and Councils mUvSt be an excellent foundation
for the faith of the " simple faithful." Will he
shew us how they are to know where the infal-
libility is lodged ? Must they likewise be infal-
lible, that they may be qualified to judge whe-
ther Popes or Councils are the greatest liars ?
But perhaps another way may be found. Phi-
losophers
* De Fide disp. 2. sect. 6. f Ad. Aiin. 573.
% De Rom. Pent. lib. 3. c. 6.
152 FOPERY CONDEMNED BY
losophers have sagely observed, that virtue lies
in the middle, and vice at the two extremes.
When the Pope then says, lo, here is Christ,
and the Council, lo, there, might not the " sim-
" pie faithful" fallow his own direction, " believe
*' them not ?"
A great part of his reasoning in defence of
the infallibility, he pretends to found on the
scriptures. It did not occur to him, that ac-
cording to his own principle, this prerogative
must be granted to the Romish Church, before
he can draw any proof from the scriptures to
defend it. " It is only,'^ says he, " by the in-
'* fallible testimony of the Catholic Church, that
" the scriptures are knov/n to be divinely inspi-
" red *." Is it not reasoning in a circle to say,
the infallibility proves the inspiration of scripture,
and then the scriptures prove the infallibiilty ?
But, overlooking this difficulty entirely, the
doctrine of infallibility is not even ^implied in
these passages of scripture by which he attem.pts
to support it ; as a short viev/ of his proofs will
discover.
Infallibility he maintains to be by no means a
privUege peculiar to the Church under the Nevv^^
Testament. He accordingly endeavours to shevw-
that the Jews possessed it, as a collateral proof
of its present existence in the Church. " 'Tis
•' a^dmitted," says he, " by the framers of the
" thirty-
* P. 143-
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 153
*' ihirty-nine articles, which compose the code
*'• of doctrine 'by law established in England,
" that the Church has authority in controversies
*' of faith, but with this restriction, that she
** must not order any thing contrary to scrip-
*' ture. The restriction is of their own grov/th,
'' and speaks the exuberance of their fancy.
** it's not found in scripture, and is insulting to
'• common sense ; the Saviour says without re-
*' serve or restriction. If he will not Jiear the
" Church let him be to thee as a heathen, —
*' Mat, xviii. Why so ? because the Redeemer
'* had promised that he himself would be with
" the Pastors and teachers in his. Church, and
" of course that in it nothing contrary to the
*' scriptures should be taught. Hence also
" speaking of the lawful ministers of the Jew-
" ish Church, he said without restriction ; Matt,
'• xxiii. I. The Scribes and Pharisees sit on the
'* chair of Moses ^ all things therefore whatsoever
" they bid you observe and do^ observe them. The
*^ Scribes and Pharisees were corrupt men,
" taught errors privately, gave false interpreta-
" tions to the law, through interested views ;
*' with this the Saviour reproached them ; but
•' they taught no public error, . . . */'
'* This restriction,'* he says, " is of their
" own growth ; it is not found in scripture,
" aad is insulting to coniraon sense/* He
ought
* P. 126.
I54f POPERY CONDEMNED BY
ought to know a little more of the doctrine of
the scriptures, before he condemn the opinions
of Protestants. These framers were ignorant
of any precept of rehgion, which enjoined them
to follow the directions of the Church implicit-
ly. But they had somewhere read, " To the
" law and to the testimony ; if they speak not
" according to this word, it is because there is
'' no light in them ;" and therefore they judged
it the safest course, to try evtry doctrine by the
scriptures ^. Does the R. think the conduct of
the Bereans unscriptural and insulting to com-
mon sense, when they did not submit to the in'
fallible decisions of the Jewish Church concern-
ing Christ, but tried the apostles' doctrine by
the scriptures, and searched them daily whether
these things were so f ?
" But," says he, " our Saviour snid without
"• res:/rve or restriction, if he will not hear the
" Church, let him be to thee as a heathen,*^ The
apostle Paul also says, with as iitde reserve or
restriction, " Put them in mind to be subjt^ci to
*' prmcipalities and powers, to obey magis-
*' trates ;" yet both the primitive Christrans,
and Protestant heretics, whom they have mur-
dered in myriads, can attest their want of infal-
libility. Let the R. explain the last prece^pt of
religion, before he produce the first as a proof
of his doctrine.
Having
* Isa. vlil. 20. f Acts^ xvii. il.
SCRirXURE AND THE FATHERS. 155
Having discussed these introductory remarks,
let us now attend to his proof of Jewish infalli-
biliry. 'I'his he seems to think of very great
importance, and therefore he illustrates it twice.
" When the Saviour spoke of the lawful pas-
** tors of the JtVv^ish Church, v/hose province it
*' was to expound the law, and attest the truth
•* of tradition, he strictly enjoined obedience
*' and submission to their decisions and orders ;
" they sit^ says he, i?i Moses chair ^ whatsoever
** they say to ijou^ observe and do it, Matth.
'* xxiii. 2. By these words the Saviour autho-
** rises the infallibility of decision in the Jewish
** Church */'
With all their infallibility, the Saviour, in the
24th verse of the same chapter, declares them to
have been blind guides. The perusal of the wh(jle
cf that chapter mi^ht cdify the R. considerably.
It would shov\' hjih vvh:U views Christ may en-
tertain ot an infallible church. He exposes
there the vice:-; c i th-^.r ministrations and con-
duct, and denounces against them the judge-
ments ot God. ^i.\i^ R. himsell" seems to bt a
little ashamed cf the company with which he
has associated the Romish Church. He con-
fesses, that they taught errors privately, by gi-
ving false interpretations of the law to gratify
their vicious inclinations ; but he maintains
thut, in public, they were faithful and hifallihle.
This
* P. 8".
136 POPERY CONDEMNED BT
This Is precisely the doctrine which many saga-
cious pastors of the Church of JloiTi^ have
taught concerning the Pope. He may sin, say
they, or teach error as an individual, but not as
a Pope, But even this nice distinction will not
free him from those woes which the Saviour de-
nounced against the Pharisees in a similar situa-
tion. When the devil lays hold of him indivi-
dually, he will have hard struggling, as a Pope,
to get out of his clutches.
But granting that the doctrine of the Phari-
sees was different in public and private, it is at-
tendecl with more consequences than the R.
would wish to acknowledge. These Pharisees
and the Romish Church, we will suppose, might
be both infallible. Yet the former erred most
egregiously in private, and so may the latter.
What a comfortable prospect does this present
to the " simple faithful !** The Pope and his
clerg-y may teach in public by an infallible rule,
and at the same time undermine their doctrine
in secret, by the m.ost damnable heresy. Under
such pastors, the flock has great reason to be
lulled in security. Let us hear the declaration
of Christ concerning them : *' But woe unto
you, Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for
ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against
men : for ye neither go in, nor suffer them
who are entering to go in,'* &c. *
The
* Mnttb. xxiii. i^.
SCRli'TURE AND THE FATHERS. 157
1'he R.'s application of the words of Christ
is a mere perversion of scripture. Did our Sa-
viour commend the public teaching of the Scribes
and Pharisees, when he said, " But hi vain do
" they worship me, teaching for doctrines the
*• commandments of men*," or, when he
commanded his disciples to bevv^are of their doc-
trines ? If it be any gratification, he may hear
how the Fathers have expounded this part of
scripture.
" By the chair of Moses,*' says St. Jerome,
** Christ means the doctrine of the law f."
" God therefore,*' says St. Augustine,
^* teaches by them, (the pastors of his own
*' Church), but if they teach doctrines of their
" own, do not hear them, do not do them t."
*' He enjoins their obedience," says St.
Hilary, " to all the commandments of the
" law||."
As a farther proof of the infaUibility of the
Jewish Church, the R. has the following obser-
vations : " The Prophets, in doubtful cases and
** obscurities, refer contending parties to the
" decision of the High Priest, who was the
" Chief Pastor of the Jewish Church. Deut.
** xiii. And in the prophecies of Malachi we
*' read, " the lips of the Priest shall preserve
" knowledge, and they shall seek the law from
G '* his
* Mat. XV. 9. f In Lcc. :j: In Joan, tract. 46.
II Can. 24.
y
158 POPERY CNODEMNED EY
" his nioutli. Because he is theniessengcr of
" the Lord of Hosts. Ch. ii. ?.*"
According to this statement, the Jews seem
to have been as unsettled in their opinions of
the seat of infallibility, as the Romish Church.
Even the Saviour himself and his prophets en-
tertained different sentiments. The former re-
ferred the people to the Scribes and Pharisees
for infallibility of decision ; the latter, to the
high priest. The supporter of an absurd hypo-
thesis, like a great liar, ought to have a good
memory, in order to maintain the appearance
of consistency. A view of the passages to
f which he refers, will discover, that the prophets
were far from ascribing any such prerogative to
the high priest of the Jewish Church.
The thirteenth chapter of Deuteronomy con-
tains no case of reference at all ; but the trans-
actions to which, I suppose, he alludes, may be
found in the seventeenth : " If there arise a
" matter too hard for thee in judgement, be-
^' .tween blood and blood, between plea and
'* plea, and between stroke and strode, being
" matters of controversy within thy gates, then
** tho-u shalt arise, and get thee up into the
" place which the Lord thy God shall choose ;
*' And thou shalt come unto the priests the
''- Levites, and unto th'^ judge that shall be in
" those days, and inquire j and they shall shew
" thee
* P. 104.
h<tKlllL*.<,l-. .^->-i' iiiu J- .. i ii j.i<.i.
Ij^j
• ihcc the sentence of judgement. And thou
' shale do according to the sentence which
they of that place which the Lord shivll
choose, shall show thee ; and thou shalf ob-
• serve to do according to all that they inform
•' thee*:" kc.
If these verses be considered by the R. ns a
proof of infallibility, he must extend it to civil
transactions as well as ecclesiastical discussions,
.ml likewise allow the judge as well as the high
;:)riest a share of it ; but his view of the passage
requires no refutation.
'* But,** says he, *' we read in the prophe-
" cies of Malachi f/ie lips of the Priest shall pre-
" serve knowledge^ and they shall seek the laiv
" from his mouth. Because he is the messenger of
«« the Lord of Hosts r
A little attention to the scope of this prophet
would have shown him, that his words ought to
have been rendered, " The lips of the priest
" should preserve knowledge." But let him
only consult the following verse, and he will sec
what infallibility the priests of these days disco-
vered : " But ye are departed out uf the way ;
" ye have caused many to stumble at the law ;
" ye have corruptee^ the covenant of Levi, saith
" the Lord of Hosts."
Having discussed these proofs of Jewish in-
jallibility, if the R. please, we will take a peep
G 2 ?:
» Vcr. 8. &c.
160 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
at the state of the Church during that dispensa-
tion, to see, if it was preserved " from the light-
" est shade of eiTor." With such an excellent
guide, we might naturally expect to find the
rulers of that Church ready to receive the testi-
mony of God by his prophets ; but, like the
Romish Church, they generally found them
rank heretics, and therefore persecuted and put
them to death. Does the R. recollect how these
infallible guides received the Lord of glory ?
After judging his doctrine to be heretical, they
decreed, " that if any man did confess that he
*• was Christ, he should be put out of the sy-
*' nagogue * ;" and as soon as they could lay
hold of him, they dehvered him to the civil
power, to be punished as a teacher of error and
blasphemy.
Let us next observe those proofs which more
immediately respect the infallibility of the Ro-
mish Church. They are founded on a supposi-
tion which every Protestant will not be ready to
grant him. He proceeds upon the principle,
that the Romish Church is the Church of Christ,
and then he appropriates these promises which,
he imagines, will suit his purpose. Still, after
all, he must have recourse to inferences, before
he can produce even the appearance of a confir-
mation of this doctrine.
The promises of teaching, which have been
made
* John, ix. 22.
SCRIPTURE- AND THE FATHERS. 161
made to the Church, the R. views as proofs of
infallibility. To illustrate this point, he has
produced a quotation from the prophet Isaiah :
" He shall teach us his ways, and we will walk
" in his paths *. God,*' says he, " whether
" he teaches immediately by himself, as when
*' visible on earth, or by his ministers, as since
'' his ascension, teaches no errors at all t-"
To this truth the most heretical Protestant
will assent. At the same time, it excites our
admiration, that the Popish clergy, who pretend
to have enjoyed such excellent teaching, should
be so bad scholars. In taking a survey of the
doctrines which have been maintained in the
Church of Rome, we find Popes teaching one
thing, and Councils another, and individuals
again reprobating the doctrine of both.
But let us suppose, that infallibility is actually
taught in these words. Does the R. think that
the Romish Church can claim it, according to
the principles of the prophet ? Duty, as well as
doctrine, he must allow to be the ways of the
Lord. The prophet also as'sures tis, that the
Church will be as apt to v/alk in his paths, r.s to
be instructed in his Vv^ays. If these words,
therefore, prove the existence of infallibility at
all, they teach as much freedom from error in
obedience as in doctrine, which is more than the
Church of Rome can claim, with all her boasts
G 3 of
* Isa. ii. 3. f P. 1 1 r.
\ POPERY CONDEMNED BY
purity. He must not then expect a conces-
sion of this point, till he is able to present her
perfect in obedience.
But there is another difficulty here, to which
he does not seem to have adverted. All infal-
lible teaching in the Church must proceed from
the chief pastor, and inferior clergy assembled
in Council ; for with these conjunctly the infal-
libihty is lodged. Still the great body of the
Church remains to be instructed ; and they can
only receive the teaching of persons who have
no infallibility. How, then, do the advantages
of this doctrine extend to them ? If the R. say^
that the teachers must follow the decisions of
the Councils, let him inform us how they infal-
libly ascertain their meaning ; and also, if the
decrees of the Councils extend to every duty to
be inculcated, and advice given by the clergy,
connected with time, place, and circumstances.
But though the clergy teach no error in doc-
trine, may not the faithful, v/ho are simple and
ignorant, mistake their meaning, and believe
damnable heresy ? Is there, then, any way by
which the Church can be infallibly instructed,
but by extending this prerogative to both teach-
ers and taught ? It is the more necessary for the
R. to attend to this point, because both the
clergy and the people have at times mistaken the
doctrines of religion. Perhaps he may have
heard of a benevolent pastor of the Romish
Church,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 163
Church, who judiciously extended his instruc-
tions to a congregation of pious rooks, because
it had been enjoined '* to preach the gospel to
" every creature."
His next proof has as little tendency to esta-
blish the doctrine of infallibility : " There shall
*' come a Redeemer to Zion and to those,
" who return from iniquity in Jacob, saith the
** Lord ; this is my covenant with them, saith
*' the Lord, my spirit which is over thee, and
" my words, which I have put in thy mouth,
" shall not depart from thy mouth, nor from
*' the mouth of thy seed, nor from the mouth
*' of thy seed's seed, saith ' the Lord, from
** henceforth and for ever, Is, ix, 20. 21.
" Here," says he, " we have the most express
" and intelligible declaration, that the Spirit of
*' the Lord is with his Church ; that his words
*• are in her mouth, not errors nor fictions, but
'* his truth : for he is the God of truth, and by
" her mouth hg teaches as he did the primitive
*'■ Christians by the mouth of the Apostles ; and
" his words' are in the mouth of her seed, that
" is, in the mouth of the immediate successors
'' of the Apostles *."
These words of Isaiah respect only the resto-
ration of the Jews, so that, though they actual-
ly taught infallibility, the Church of Rome
could have no claim to it. But did they even
G 4 extend
* P. ii6.
164 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
extend It to the Gentile. Church, it is not of
that kind for which the R. contends. It is
something in which the whole Church is equally
interested ; for, though he says that the seed of
the Church denotes the apostles' successors, he
cannot refuse the same appellation to every true
convert to Christianity. The particular manner,
also, in which this privilege is bestowed, must
make it of very little use to the Romish Church,
Upon his own principles, he will allow that a
Pope and his inferior clergy may be very wicked
men. His infallible chief priest and Pharisees-
were so in the days of Christ ; and I can pro-
duce him, from Popish writers, numerous com-
plaints of the abominable immoralities of later
clergy. At such a period, therefore, the infal-
libility here promised must have perished entire-
Iv ; for it is secured onlv to those who " return
" from iniquity in Jacob."
To establish the inflillibility, he has farther
produced the promise of Christ, to his disciples,
recorded in John, xiv. 26. " The Paraclete,
'■ the Holy Ghost, whom the father will send
''' in my name, will teach you all things
'" and bring to your memory all the things
" which I have said to you." " From this pas-
" sage," says he, " 'tis manifest that the end
*' for which the Holy Ghost presides over the
" Apostles in their successors the Pastors of
'• Christ's Church, is to instruct them in the
*' truths
ECRIPTUKE AND THE FATHERS. 16.>
" truths of religion ; these truths which Christ
'* himself revealed, which without the assistance
" of the Holy Ghost, v/ould have been forgot-
♦' ten*.''
This promise of Christ the R. considers as
applicable to the apostles' successors, because he
had said in a preceding verse, that this Comfort-
er should abide with them " forever." He has,
certainly, not yet to learn, that the word " for-
" ever" is frequently used in the scriptures to
denote uninterrupted continuance, more than
perpetuity of duration. That it is used in this
sense here, is evident from the scope of our
Lord's discourse. He had been telling his dis-
ciples of his departure from them to go to the
Father ; but he would pray for the Comforter,
•who would not leave them, " that he may abide
" with you for evert«"
But the R. has no authority at all to apply
this promise of Christ directly to the apostles'
successors. A little attention to the words oT
it w^ould have shown him a peculiarity, w^hich
must restrict it to the former. On account of
the obscurity of their present vievvs, and the af-
flicting temptations which were about to overtake
them, they w^ould be apt to let the words of
Christ slip from their minds ; but savs he,
*' I'he Holy Ghost will bring all things to your
" remembrance, .whatsoever I have said unto
G 5 . - yCll.'^ ■
* P. 117. f Vcr, 16.
l-^tJ roPERY CONDEMNED BY
>•
'' you." Does the R., then, think the Holy
Ghost given to the apostles' successors, with a
view to bring to their remembrance the things
which Christ spoke to tlie?n in his personal mi-
nistrations ?
But, let us suppose this promise made to the
apostles' successors. Infallibility, in this case,
becomes a personal qualification. Besides, he
must allow the promise to be applicable to them
both in the same manner. That the apostles re-
ceived the Holy Spirit, we have every reason to
believe. When they began to preach that gos-
pel v;hich Christ had taught them, " God bare
" them witness both with signs and wonders, and
" with diverse miracles and gifts of the Holy
*' Ghost *." As a proof, then, of the infalli-
bility of the Romish Church by the accomplish-
ment of this promise, let the R. and his bre-
thren come forward and authenticate their claim
in the same manner, that Protestants may have
some ground for receiving their testimony.
As an appendix to this part of his proof, he
lias the follov.'ing observations ; " If the Ex,
" imagines that errors in faith are consistent with
" this promised assistance and special protection
" of the Holy Ghost, he must permit us Catho-
" lies to believe St. Paul, who is of a contrary
^' opinion : " what union^* says the Apostle,
" he live en light and dai'kness ? ^vhat agree fuent
** between
r
* Heb, ii. 4;
SCRIPTURE AKD THE FATiiliRS. 167
'* between Christ and BcUal ? or vjJiat part has
" the believer with an injidel? and what agree-
*' 2nent hath the temple of God with idols ? fir you
" are the temple of the living God^ as God saith^
" I will dwell in them and walk among them.^ and
" / will be their God and they shall be my people,
•' f> Ccr. vi. 14. 15. *"
It Yv'ill be highly gratifying to Protestants, to
hear that Papists have believed St. PauL We
would recommend it to the R., when he begins
this noble exercise, to believe him not merely
according to the sound of his words, but to take
the sense along with him. There will then be
some hope of his forsaking the idolatry of the
Romish Church, and commencing Protestant
reformer. By turning his attention again to
these words of St. Paul, he wdll find, that he is
neither speaking of infallibility nor errors of
faith. He is merely cautioning Christians against
an intimate connection with persons who reject-
ed the truth, and adhered to the worship of
images and oilier heathenish practices. " Be
'• ye not," says he, " unequally yoked together
" with unbeliLvers ; for v, hat fellowship hath
'■ righteousness with unrighteousness, and what
" communion hath light with darkness V &c. j
ahd then he adds, " Vx^herefore, come out
" from among them and be ye separate, saith
**- the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing."
* P. 11-7,
Its POP£RY CONDEMNED BY
" *Tis beyond a contradiction," says the R,^
'' that the Apostle in this passage speaks of the
*• Church of J. Christ, in which he admits the
" immediate presence of God as in his temple,
*' from which his truth exckides every shade of
** error, as light expels darkness, and as faith
" effaces infidelity *." An ignorant and un-
learned reader, with only common sense for his
guide, would rather say, It is beyond contradic-
tion, that the apostle, in this passage, speaks of
Christians individually, who, having the Spirit
of God residing in them, are a spiritual temple,
which he has sanctified for himself; and, there-
fore, it is both their interest and duty to keep
at a distance from the worship of images, and
every thing which may grieve the Spirit, and
interrupt their own peace.
Any farther examination of his proofs of in-
fallibility from promises of teaching, will be at
present unnecessary. This part of his defence-
originates entirely in mistaken views. He sup-
poses the whole visible Church to be Christ's
spiritual seed, to whom the pro;nises are m/ade ;
and then he draws the conclusion, that these
will be preserved from the lightest shade of er-
ror. But his opinion is repugnant both to the
word of Go J, and the history of the Church..
Let him look into the account which the Saviour
hiir.self has given of the state of the seven
Churches
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 1C9
Churches of Asia * ; he will find errors taught
there, as gross as he could wish them, and yet
Christ acknowledges their relation to himself,
and, as the R. will see, is actually fuliilling his
promises of teaching.
But farther, in promises of preservation which
have been made to the Church, he finds another
proof of infallibility. " Christ says to Peter
'' thou art a Rock and upon this Rock will I
*' build my Church and the Gates of Hell shall
*• not prevail against it ... . The reader will ea-
" sily conceive that Christ here promises to found
'' not a Church indistinctly, or in general, but
" his own Church.^ that is, that very Church, in
" exclusion to all others, to which the prophet
*' Isaias foretold, that all nations would flow ;
*' that house of God in which he himself will
" teach his law that Church which Osee forc-
" told that God would espouse in judgement in
'• justice and truth and in which by his word
'^ all his children are spiritually begotten If in
*• this Church at any time gross errors were
" publicly taught by the pastors and believed by
the people the Gates of Hell would prevail
and Christ's promise would have been false —
the prophets and apostlts would have deceived
us and the Christian religion v.ould have been
but a fiction f."
These are serious consequences, but I can as-
sure
* Pvcv. cliDp. i. il. ill. f P. 12:* 124.
«i
170 POPKKY CONDEMNED BY
sure him they are not logically deduced. Be-
sidep, they are repugnant to the experience of
the Church ; and that should induce him to give
them a re- examination. The apostle Paul in«
forms us, that some in the Corinthian Church
denied the doctrine of the' resurrection * ; and
also, that Hymeneus and Philetus both erred in
doctrine, and were believed by the people t
'* Who concerning the truth have erred, saying
*' that the resurrection is past already ; and o-
" verthrew the Eiith of somef." Even the a-
postle Peter^ to whose opinion the R. ought to
pay considerable respect, opposes his sentiments.
*' There shall be false teachers among you, who
** shall privily brhig in damnable heresies, . . .
" And many shall fcllov/ their pernicious-
" waysj"..."!
But why does he restrict this promise to pre-
servation from errors in faith ? Are not perse-
cutions, and alluring temptations, the devices of
the gates of hell ? If these words of Christ,
therefore, teach the Popish doctrine of infallibi-
lity, they prove also perpetual freedom from all
the operations of Satan. TheR., in explaining
this promise, ought likewise to have said, " If
*' the enemies of the Church persecute and put
'' its members to death, or by allurements wirh-
'• draw them from allegiance to Christ, the gate s
'' of hell have prevailed, and his promie^e is
" false."
'-" 1 Cor. XV. I :. i 2 Tim. *.i. 38. 42 Pet. ii. i. 2.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATiiKRS. ITX
'• false/' The same thing may be saiJ of every
promise of preservation. By these, therefore,
he cannot prove the infallibility of the Romish
Church, till he present her absolutely free from
the influence of temptation.
In the precepts of religion, the R. finds an-
other proof of this doctrine. Of his reasoning
from these, the following extract w^ill serve as a
specimen : " Obetf, says the Apostle, your guides
" and be subject to thenu Heb, xiii. 1 7. He im-
*' mediately assigns the reason vi'hy he exacts
" this obedience without any restriction : Be^
* ' cause, says he, they watch over your souls as
*' being obliged to acconipt for them* St. Paul did
*' not order the faithful to watch over their Pas-
'* tors and enquire whether the doctrine taught
*' by them be consistent with Scripture or not.
*' If any particular teacher should introduce
*' strange doctrine, the Evangelist St. John, gives
*^ the most simple rule to detect it ; a rule easy
*' in- practice within the comprehension of the
** most illiterate and absolutely infallible : Dear-
** ly beloved^ says the apostle, believe not every
*' Spirit but try the spirits whether they be cf
*' God : for many false Prophets are gone out into
" the world, 1. John iv. 1. As 'twas not pos-
*' sible for the unlearned, who in all countries
*' comipose a great majority of the people, to try
" strange doctrine by the rule of the Scriptures
*' which they don't understand,. St. John gives
" them
172 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" them this very simple rule : Ibidem, v» 6. Vye
** are of God, he iv/jo /cnowetk God heareth us: —
" he who is not of God heareth us not : — bi/ this
** we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of er^
*' ror, ^Tis not possible to speak more intelli-
*' gibly or more to the purpose : we, says the
*' Apostle, that is the Chief Pastors of the
" Church, of whom St. John was unquestion-
" ably one, are of God, that is are Gods ap-
*' pointment : he who heareth us not, is not of
*• God, that is, that teacher, let him be who he
" will, or what he will, who disobeys us the
" Chief Pastors, is not of Gods appointment.
" By this we know the spirit of truth and the
*' spirit of error. By this obedience or disobe-
" dience to the Chief Pastors of the Church,
" true and false teachers are easily distinguish-
Implicit obedience may be a very grateful doc-
trine to Popish clergymen, but it is more savoury
than scriptural. The R. may detect his ow^n
sophistry by considering, that the precepts of
religion to obey magistrates, parents, and mas-
ters, are as unlimited as those which he has pro-
duced. He ought also to recollect, that the
beauty of quibbles lies in the seeming consistency
of one part with another, which he has not even
preserved. " As 'twas not possible," says he,
*' for the unlearned, who in all countries com-
" pose
* P, 127. T2S.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. l7^
" pose a great majority of the people, to try
*' strange doctriivj by the rule of the Scriptures
"" which they don't understand, St. John gives
*• them this very simple rule : We are of God^
" he who knoweih God heareth us : — he who is
'' not of God heareth us not: — by this we know
'' the spirit of truth and the spirit of error.^^ Did
it not occur to the R., that this very simple rule
of St. John is a rule of the scriptures, which the
unlearned, he says, do not understand.
But though St. John, in these words, had ac-
tually enjoined implicit obedience to himself and
the other apostles of Christ, it is not consequent-
ly due to the Church of Rome. The former
were under the immediate direction of the Spirit
of God ; but the R. has not yet proven the latter
infallible. This apostle, however, teaches no
such doctrine. Instead of referring the mem-
bers of the Church to their teachers implicitly,
he turns their attention to the doctrine of the
scriptures, and tells them to exercise their judge-
ment, by bringing the instructions of the clergy
to this test ; as the R. may see by observing his
language : " Beloved, believe not every spirit,
" but try the spirits whether they are of God ;
*' because many false prophets are gone out into
'* the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of
*' God : every spirit that confesseth that Jesus
*• Christ is come in the flesh is of C?od ; And
" every
174? POPERY CuNBEMNKD BY
" every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus
*' Christ is come in the flesh is not of God * "
The Popish doctrine of impUcit obedience to
the Church, by keeping the people in ignorance,
may secure the influence of the clergy ; bur it is
totally repugnant to the spirit of the gospel. To
illustrate this, it will be only necessary to recur
to the very simple rule of this apostif, which the
R. has quoted : " We are of God ; he that
** knoweth God heareth -us ; he that is not of
'* God heareth us not." In these words we are
taught, that it is a knowledge of God which
produces submission to the faithful ministers of
the Church. Wherever this knov\ ledge is want-
ing, there may be much credulity and submission
to the clergy ; but there can neither be that
faith which is an assent of the understanding to
the truth, nor obedience to Christ which is a
reasonable service.
Nor is the R. more correct when he says,
that the unlearned are incapable of trying strange
doctrines by the rule of the scriptures. The un-
learned and the ignorant are far from being
phrases'of the same signification, A person,
who is destitute of what is called learning by
men, may possess a very accurate knowledge of
the doctrines of religion ; and, on the contrary,
men of learning are not always the fittest judges
of divine tnings ; " Thou Iiast hid these things,*'
says
* I John, iv. \ — 3.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 175
says Christ, " from the wise and prudent, and
*' hast revealed them unto babt s */*
But, granting that an implicit submission is
due to the ministers of C hrist, I will shew the
R., in a very few words, that the Church of
Rome has no right to claim it. In iUustrating
this topic, he has the fjllowing observations :
" At the same time that the apcsties so pointed-
" ly directed the faithtul to adhere invariably to
** the faith once delivered to the saints ^ they v%'arn-
" ed them against the insidious artifices of inno-
" vators and pretended reformers. Thus in his
*' first of Timothy, iv 1- New the Spirit mani^
*' festly saith that in the last times some shall de-
** part from 'the faith^ giving heed to spirits of
" error and doctrines of devils^ speaking lies i?i
*' hypocrisy^ and having their consciences scar-
*' ^^t«" But why did he not produce the fol-
lowing words of this apostle ? The R.'s grand
design is to detect the insidious artifices of inno-
vators and pretended reformers ; and he there
specifies the marks by which they may be known.
They are persons, this apostle says, who " fci-
*' bid to marry, and command to abstain from
*' meats, which God has created to be received
*' with thanksgiving of them who beheve and
" know the truth. For every creature of God
" is good, and nothing to be refused, if it be
" received with thanksgiving |." Let the R.,
then,
* Mat. x:. 25. f P. 129. X 1 Tim.iv. 3. 4.
176 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
then, shew what Church has forbidden to mar-
ry, and ccnnmanded to abst.iin from meats ; and
I will tell him who have departed from the iaith,
and consequenily can have no claim to infallibi-
lity.
From the name given to the Church by the
apostle Pciul, the R. deduces another proof of
the dextrine of infallibility. " These things I
*' write to you hoping shortly to come to you^ but if
*' / delay ^ that you may know how to conduct your*
'* self in the house of God which is the Church of
*' the living God^ the pillar and ground of truth.
*' 1 Tim. iii. J 4. 15 The wri'er wishcs to
" know from the Ex. or his most powerful ally,
*' whether this Church which St. Paul calk the
*' pillar and ground of truth, does at present,
*' or has at any time supported eiTor ? if so-
*' she was no longer the pillar of truth, but the
*' pillar of falsehood ; the Apostle was deceiv-
*' ed, and has deceived us ; if not that infallibi-
*' lity of decision so painful to the Ex. is infal-
" libly true.'*
The R. ought to have known, that the
Church of Rome is far from being infallibly
certain whether fhese words should be applied
to the Church or to Timothy. By consulting
the Fathers, according to whom, he and his
brethren have sworn to explain the scriptures,
he will find some referring them to the one, and
some
SCRlPtURE AND THE FATHERS. 177
some to the other. " St. Paul," says Gregory
Nyssen, " wrought and fashioned Timothy to
*' be a goodly pillar ; making him the pillar
*' and ground of the Church and of truth *.*'
These ancient writers were also accustomed to
call any person eminent in the Church by this
name. St, Basil, writing of the bishop of Neo-
caesarea newly deceased, bewails his loss, be-
cause he was " the ornament of the Churches,
" the pillar and ground of truth, a strong and
*' firm establishment of faith in Christ fi"
And in another epistle, complaining of the
wretch:^d state of the Church on account of the
dispersion of the bishops by persecution, he
says, " The pillars and ground of truth are dis-
*' persed |.*'
But though these words were peculiarly ap-
plicable to the Church, they by no means sup-
port the doctrine of infallibihty. The R. would
wivsh his readers to believe, that the Church is
the basis upon which the truth is founded. Let
him then inform us, upon what the Church
rests ; and also, what a Church would resemble,
which was formed and subsisted, before the truth
was built upon it. It might perhaps be like the
Church of Rome ; but it could resemble no
other object in the visibie creation. Ihe truth,
we Protestants believe to be founded on the
testimony of God. We know no oihcT founda-
tion
* Dc vita Mos. f Tom. 2. Ep. 62. % Ep. 70.
178 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
tion for our faith, than, "Thus saith the Lord/'
The Church, we conceive to be a pillar and
support, merely on account of that record,
which it bears to the divine testimonv. But,
though the Church be the pillar and ground of
truth, it does not follow, as the R. imagines,
that it cannot err, or that by erring, it is no
longer a Church of Christ, but a pillar of
falsehood. A person may be a saint of God,
and yet be considerably involved in the pollu-
tions of sin ; and a Church may belong to
Christ, though deficient in knowledge and ad-
herence to the truths of religion. Errors were
maintained in some of the seven Churches of
Asia ; and yet our Lord acknowledged them as
pillars, in as far as they were witnesses for the
truth. Had the R. attended to the history of
the Romish Church, he would have learnt, that
the testimony of the Church is not so uniform
as he imagines. Instead of reasoning from false
principles, and drawing conclusions which exist
only in his oun fancy, let him advert to facts,
and he Vvill find, that the only Church, which,
in his opinion, possesses any claim to truth, has
supporied errors and deceived its mem.bers.
Both the faith and practice of the Church of
Rome have varied considerably since the days
of the apostles. These primitive teachers of
Chrisrianity were notoriously ignorant of the
use of the Inquisition, that excellent institution
for
SCRirTtJRl^: AND THE FATIISP.S. 179
for scenting out heretics ; nor were rhey better
informed about the wonderful efhcacy oi the
material sword, for pricking the conscience,
and begetting faith in the most stubborn and re-
beUious. The^ R. must allow, that the wor-
ship of the Romish Church haS acquired a('di-
tional orthodoxy since the days of Epiphanius,
that great enemy of images ; and also that the
Council of Trent possessed a more extensive ac-
quaintance with the faith, than Pope Gregory
the Great, who declared a univjersal bishop the
forerunner of Antichrist. As the R. has de-
clared his resolution to believe St. Paul, I will
produce him a quotation from his epistle to the
Church of Rome, upon which he may exercise
his faith ; and when he has perused it, he may
inform us whether that apostle believed the
Romish Church an infaUible pillar and ground
of truth, or was an innovator and a pretended
reformer. " Because of unbelief they (the
" Jews) w^ere broken off, and thou standest by
" faith; be not high-minded, but j^^r; For if
" God spared not the natural branches, take
" heed lest he spare not iltee. Behold therefore
"- the goodness and severity of God ; on them
" who fell, severity ; but toward thee, good-
" ness, it thou continue in his goodness ; other-
*' wise, thou also shalt be cut off*,*^
The R. indeed reters his readers indirectly to
the
* Rom, xi. 20. — 22.
ISO POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the State of the Romish Church, which he has
all along viewed as the one Church of Christ.
*' There is therefore," says he, " nothing taught
*' in the Church of Christ but truth, no faith
** but that which was once delivered to the
" Saints *."
Let us then obsen^e how the truth has been
supported by such able teachers ; and we may
begin with a view of their sentiments respecting
the infallibility itself. I will not at present pre-
sume to say, that- the most heterogeneous opinions
have been maintained upon this point; since the
R. has declared them all equally true. I would
only advise the reader not to be surprised,
though the truth assume the most discordant
forms.
" It is rash," says Occam, " to say, that a
" general Council cannot errf. The scrip-
** tures, the universal Church, and the apostles,
*' are without hesitation to be believed ; but
** none else are to be believed in every thing
*' without exception, however eminent in holi-
" ness and learning ; no, not a general Council,
*' though the universal Church were gathered
** together in it, nor the decrees of Popes, nor
** the judgement of doctors J. It belongs to
*' eveiy man skilful in the scriptures, with a
" firm assurance to judge, whether Councils
" have
* P. 138. + Dial. Pv I. lib. 5. c. 25.
:|: Id. P. 3. tract. I, lib. 3. c. 4.
SCRIPTURE AND Tim FATHERS, IS I
*' have been celebrated catholicall}v and emitted
" Catholic definitions *."
Peter de Alhaco, cardinal of Cambray, and
one of the presidents of the Council of Con-
stance, has declared, " 1. That a general Coun-
" cil can depart from the law of Christ. 2.
'' That the Church of Rome, v/hich is distin-
•* guished from the whole congregation of the
*' faithful, as a part from the whole, may fall
*' into heresy. 3. That the whole multitude of
" clergy and laity may apostatize from the true
" faith t."
*' In things indeed concerning the faith,"'
"says cardinal Panormitan, " a Council is above-
*' the Pope ; yet, if the Pope be moved by bet-
*' ter reasons and authorities, we must abide by
. *'• his determination ; for even a Council may
" and has erred. In matters of faith, even the
" judgement of one private man ought to be
" preferred to the sentence of the'Pope, if he
*' be moved by better arguments drawn from
*' the Old and New Testaments J.''
We may next observe how they have illustra-
ted the doctrine of indulsrences.
o
" There were some in the Church," says
Aquinas, " who affirmed, that her intention in
" indulgences was only, by a pious fraud, to in*
*' duce men to acts of charity, which they
H " would
»
Ibid. c. 19. f In Quaest. Vesper, ait.
0-
X In Cap, de Elect.
182 POPERY CONDEMNLD BY
'' would net: otherwise have done ; as a mother
" promises her child an apple to run al^road,
*' which yet she does not give him, when he
" has gone her errand." But this he rejects as
a very dangerous opinion ; because says he, " it
*' is in plain terms to make the Church guilty
" of a notorious cheat *."
^' No Pope,'* says Wesselus, a man highly
esteemed in the Church of Rome, " can grant
'- indulgence even for an hour ; and it is ridi-
" tulous to imagine, that for doing the same
*• thing, an indulgence should be granted,
*' sometimes for seven years, sometimes for 700
" or 7000, and sometimes for ever by a plenary
'' indulgence^ There is not the least founda-
*' tion in scripture for the distinction of remit-
*' ting the fault and the punishment, upon
*' which the doctrine of indulgence is grounded.
*' Covetousness was the cause of their introduc-
*' tion at first ; and though the Pope once swore
*' to the French ambassador, that he did not
" know the corruption of the sellers of indul-
*^ genccs, yet, when he knew, he permitted
*' rhem, and they became more extensive. God
'' himself does not give plenary remission to
*' ccntriiion and confession ; and therefore, the
•' Pope can much less do it f-"
Jacobus Angulaiis, in his reply to Wesselus,
acknowledged; " That there is nothing in scrip-
'^ ture
* Suppl. Sam. CL25. art. 2. f Oper:i, p. 867.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 18.S
" ture or antiquity expressly for indiiln-ences ;
but that ought to be no argument against
them, since there are many otJier things, czcmd
in the Church as necessary points, which ha^-c
*' as little foundation *."
Wesselus, in answer to Angularls, said,
That indulgences were accounted pious frauds
" before the days of Albertus and 1 honn? ;
*' and that there were a great number of divines,
" who still opposed the errors and practices of
" the Court of Rome in this matter : Th;^,t
" though the Church were for tliem,- yet the
*' authority of the scriptures ought to be prefcr-
" red ; for no multitude of men whatever
should be believed against scripture: That
he had not taken up this opinion rashly ; for
" he had maintained it thirty-three years ago at
Paris, and also in the Pope's Penite«tiaiy
*' court at Rome; That the doctrine of indul-
** gences was delivered with great confusion and
*' uncertainty ; by which it appeared to be no
•• catholic doctrine; and that it is almost im-
possible to find two persons agreeing in the
•' explication of them : That though the strictest
'• person of the Carthusian or any other order
*' received a plenary indulgence at the hour of
" death, he would request his brethren to pray
*' for his soul, which is a plain evidence that he
" did not believe in its validity: And, that
a 2 " many
* In ep. Wesscl.
184 rOPERY CONDEMNED EY
*' many in the Court of Rome spoke against
*' them more freely than himself/'
" None," says Gerson, " can give a par-
" don for so many years as are contained in the
" Pope's indulgence, but Christ *."
Such are som.e of the opinions which have
been maintained in the Church of Rome re-
specting infallibility and indulgences. Let the
R . then reconcile them udth his own sentiments,
and shew the truth of his assertion, " There is
*' nothing taught in the Church of Christ but
" truth." I suppose, he w^ill also acknowledge
the doctrines of morality to be a part of the
truth. He can, therefore, have no objections to
a few hints of the pure and unerring manner in
which they have been taught in the Church of
Rome.
*' It is too sadly certain," says D'Alembert,
" that the maxims, imputed to Guignard and
*' the Jesuites, respecting the murdering^ of
*' kings, were at that time those of all the re-
*' ligious orders, and of almost all the ecclesias-
*' ticsf."
'' A man does not commit any sin," says
Sanchez, " nor is guilty of any irreverence to-
'' ward God, when he presumes to address
'* himself to him in his devotions, having an
*' acL ual inclination miortally to offend him |."
" A
* De Indulg. Consid. f Apol. pour les Casuist,
t Ov*sc. Lib. 7. c. 2.
SCRIPTURE- AND THE FATHERS. IS.J,
*• A person," says the same author, " may
*' swear, that he has not done a thing, though he
" actually have j by understanding within him-
'* self, that he did it not on such a day, or
*' before he was born : — And this is a thing of
*' great convenience on many occasions ; and
** is always justifiable, when it is necessary or
" advantageous in any thing which concerns a
** person's health, honour, or estate *."
'* Considering justice simply in itself,'* says
Escobar, " a judge may lawfully take a sum of
'* money to give sentence for which of the par-
" ties he pleases, when both have an equal
*' right ; — If a judge receive a bribe to pass a
" just sentence, he is bound to restore it ; be-
** cause he ought to do justice \vithout a bribe ;
*'• and therefore, the party has nothing for his
" money, but what is his right : but if the
" judge be bribed to pass an unjust sentence,
'■ he is not obliged in conscience to make any
*' restitution f."
*' If a man," says he farther, " intend to
*' hear mass as he ought, he fully performs the
" duty ; nor does any other evil intention, such
*' as looking lustfully at women, make against
it it + "
4-*
The Canonists, among other important ar-
ticles, have given an orthodox definition of a
H 3 strumpet ;
* Ibid. P. 2. Lib. 3. c. 6. f Tom, i. Lib. jo.
t Tract. I. Ex, 11,
IS6 POPERY conde?,inj:d by
strumpet ; " Shs. is one who has been familiar
*' with more than twenty- three thousand men*,"
*' A bishop/' says a Casuist, '' may proceed
*' against any person for a mortal sin ; unless'
** it be permitted by law. such as fornica-
" tidnf."
,- These are a few specimens of the morality
taught in the Romish Church ; to which many
more equally edifying might be added if requisite.
I do not, however, exhibit them as universally
believed or practised. Individuals, in the com-
munion of that Church, have entertained pure
and exalted views of the precepts of religion.
I design merely to contrast them with the R.'s
proof of infallibility, " There Is nothing taught
*' in the Church of Christ but truth,"
From the above sentiments of Popish divines,
the reader v/ill be able to judge of the falsity of
another of his assertions ; " The v/ricer begs
*' leave to inform him (the Ex.) that dissentions
*' on points of Catholx doctrine are not known
" in our schools J."
The Council of Trent has declared the
Church of Rome to be the Catholic or universal
Church. By Catholic doctrine, therefore, the
R. must understand the principles of religion
sanctioned, and permitted to be taught in 'that
Church. Whether dissentions concerning these
be
* Decret. Dist. 34. c. Gloss. f Bauny Somm. dts
ptch. p. 148. X ^' ^7*
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATH2KS. 187
be known at present in Popish schools, I will
not pretend to affirm. Perhaps, the forebo-
ding appearances of anniliilation, which threaten
the whole society, may have terminated for a time
their internal disputes. But if he take a retro-
spect of the past, he will find, that neither the
Church of Rome nor her schools could com-
plain for w^ant of squabbling. Were there no
dissentions, when Pope Liberius declared him-
self an Arian, and cursed the doctrine of the
scriptures ? when St. Cyprian contended for
the freedom of the African Churches? or
when Pope Gregory declared the supremacy
Antichristian ? Were there no disputes, when
Pope Honorius became a Monotheiite ? or
when Gregory forbade the worship of images?
Popes have declared against Councils, and Coun-
cils against Popes. Some of the orders also
have waged almost an incessant war, and, times
without number, upbraided each other with
teaching damnable doctrines. Nor have the
schools been averse to engage in these bicrxr-
ings. Let him inform us, if there were never
any dissentions in the schools concerning the
imm.aculate conception of the Virgin Mary, in-
dulgences, or the Eucharist, when the Council of
Basil permitted the Bohemians to communicate
in both kinds. If the danger of excommuni-
cation and other terrors of the Church, have at
times prevented them from interfering with
H 4 these
POFERY CONDEMNED EY
these doctrine?, which arc the basis of her ag^-
grandizement, the outposts of the Popish sys-
tem have never failed to afford them abundant
£Cope for the most outrageous squabblings *.
In defence of the doctrine of infallibility, the
R. saysj that he does not pretend to introduce
the Fathers. " They vi^ere all arrant Papists,"
says he, ^^ their testimony in favour of Popery
would be inadmissible." Had he pleased, he
could have assigned a much Ijiore substantial
cause. They Ave re utter strangers to this pre-
tension of the Romish Church, and knew of
no infallibility beyond the testimony of God in
the scriptures. Could they have afforded him
any help, he would have embraced it most cor-
dially. Notwithstanding his pretended modesty,
he accordingly produces a quotation from St.
Augustine, to shev/ that the testimony of the
Church is the onlv foundation of our behef in
the scriptures. The reader will find this point
discussed in the following chapter, to vvhich it
more properly belongs. At present, I would
only
* The ecclesiastics of the Romish Church have disputed
furiously upon many points, worthy to be recorded. A-
mong others, there was at one time a rancorous conten-
tion amongst learned divines, whether any of the Eucha-
rist, by passing into the intestines, was converted into
excrement. One party maintained the affirmative ; but
this was strenuously opposed by another, who, to testify
their abhorrence of such unwholesome doctrine, dignified
their adversaries with the savoury appellation of T— dis^?.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHER8. 189-
only observe, that this is merely a recurrence to
his former absurd reasoning, " The infallibility
''- proves the inspiration of scripture ; and then
•= the scriptures prove the infallibility."
Since the R.'s modesty will not permit him
to quote these arrant Papists the Fathers, I will
exhibit to the reader a few of their sentiments
respecting infallibility.
*' We ought," says Athanasius, " to pray
*' for the spirit of discretion, that every one
'' may knov/ what to receive and what to re-
*' iect ; A faithful disciple of the gospel is able
" to distinguish between truth and pretence,
*' because he has the spirit of discerning ; but
" the simple is carried av/ay with every co-
*♦ lour*."
'• The Church," says St. Augustine, " ought
*' not to set herself above Christ. — — Forhe-
*' always judges according to truth ; but eccle-
*' fiastical judges, being men, are frequently
*' mistaken f.^'
From this censure, he does not even exclude
Councils ; for he affirms, in another part of his
w^orks, that even plenary Councils may require
an amendment ; and the last may always rectify
v/hat is amiss in their predecessors |. In an
epistle to Jerome, he also declares, " that he
'* had learnt to pay only to the canonical scrip-
H5 " tures
* Oiat. I. con. Ar. j- Cun. Cresc. lib. 2,
t De Bant. lib. 2. c. ^» -
3 90 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" tures the deference of believing their authors
*' to have erred in nothing ; but others, though
" ever so learned or holy, he read so as not to
*' take any thing to be true because they wei;e
" of that opinion, but because they proved it by
" reason or scripture."
When the R. has explained the meaning of
St. Augustine and Athanasius, I may perhaps
extend his acquaintance with these arrant Pa-
pists. In the mean time, the reader is at liber-
ty to reject the infallibility ; for he has assured
us, that " there is nothing taught in the Church
'* of Christ but truth."
When the R. produced his proofs for the in-
faUibility, he has entirely overlooked the diffi-
culties with which it is attended. Before bidding
him adieu upon this subject, I will therefore
present him with a small addition to these which
have been already proposed, that he may have
an opportunity of confirming the faithful in his
next publication.
Infallibility, he says, is claimed by the body
of the pastors united to this head. In order,
then, to preserve this prerogative in the Church,
the Pope and his clergy ought to be Continually
in Council ; because, according to his doctrine,
'the promise of the presence of Christ and the
?.ssistance of the Spirit to teach them all truth,
belongs to them conjunctly. On this principle,
the di;:solut:on of the Council must remove the
presence
SC^JFTURE AND THE FATHERS. 191
presence of Christ and the assistance of the Spi-
rit from the Church, and leave its members to
discover the truth for themselves. Let him then
inform us, where the infallibility was lodged,
and how the Church was directed, from the
apostles' days to the first general Council. If
ever it was requisite, it was particularly so du-
ring that period ; for the Church was pestered
with heresies, as well as plagued with persecu-
tions.
If the R . say, that the presence of Christ and
the assistance of the Spirit have been promised
to continue always in the Church, and therefore,
so must the infallibility ; let him shew us where
it is lodged. After the dissolution of the Coun-
cil, the presence of Christ and the Spirit must
either be in the ordinances of religion, or in the
heart of Church-members. If these be in ordi-
nances, then they must be infallibly dispensed by
every teacher, and consequently, no heresy coyld
ever, appear in the Church; If they remain in
the hearts of the faithful, they must be infallible ;
and that would render all Councils superfluous.
But farther, the R. acknowledges that the
promise of Christ does not exclude vice and im-
morality from his Church *. The Pope and his
clergy may be very wicked men, and therefore,
in a moral point of view, very unlikely to enjoy
the presence of Christ and his Spirit. Against
H 6 this
' • - 0 / •
192 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
this objection he has provided, by saying, that
the authority of public men does not depend
upon their personal qualities, their virtues or
their vices. And here he produces Caiaphas,
prophesying of the death of Christ, as an ex-
ample that v/icked men may be under the direc-
tion of the Spirit *. It will be granted him,
that God, who opened the mouth of Balaam's
ass, may at times use the agency of very wicked
men ; and also, that authority may be connected
with many ill qualities. He ought, however, to
recollect, that good qualities and authority should
be inseparably connected in a Christian bishop ;
for " he must be blameless, as well as the hus-
" band of one wife," kef Should a wicked
Pope and clergy, then, assemble in Council,
\vould they receive the direction of the Spirit
promised to blameless bishops ? " Thou art not
" a God that hath pleasure in wickedness : nei-
'^ ther shall evil dv/ell with thee. The foolish
" shall not stand in thy sight ; thou hatest all
" w^orkers of iniquity {."
If a Council regularly held be infallible, why
do they pretend to found their decisions upon
the authority of the Fathers ? None of these
were infallibly directed in their judgement and
v/ritir.gs j and infallibility should never be
brought to th attest of private opinion.
Infallibility, he says, is the distinguishing cha-
ractv-ristic
^*P.i34. ^ f iTim. iii.2.. ±Psai.v.4.5.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 193
racterlstic of the true Church. How, then, was
it never claimed by any but Papists since the
apostles' days, though heretics in all ages have
declared themselves to be the true Church of
Christ ?
When the R. affirms, that there is nothing
taught in the Church of Christ but truth, let
him compare the present state of the Church of
Rome with the past ; the decisions of one Coun-
cil with the dictates of another ; and the prac-
tices of Papists with the laws of nature and of
Christ. The infaUlhk Church of Rome, in for-
mer times, rejected some parts of the canon of
scripture ; These the Council of Trent not only
recognised, but admitted into.it books, which,
a few years before, were declared in Rome to be
no part of the word of God. The apostle Paul
prohibited the use of an unknown tongue in the
Church, unless accompanied by an interpreta-
tion ; The Council of Trent declared every per-
son accursed, who should say, that mass ought
to be celebrated only in the vulgar tongue. The
sixth general Council declared, that marriage is
dissolved by heresy ; The contrary was affirmed
by the Council of Trent. The latter decreed,
that the mystical benedictions, lights, incense,
garments, and other frippery us.^d in the mass,
were apostolic traditions. In opposition to this,
Antoninus.de Valletelina told them, " That it
** was plain, from all history, that every Church
*' anciently
W4! POPERY CONDEMNED BY
** anciently had her particular, rite of the mass^
* ' introduced by custom : That, to gratify the
*' Pope, the Roman rite had been introduced
" into a number of provinces, though the rites
*' of many Churches are still very different from
*' it : That the Roman rite also has undergone
** great alterations, both in ancient times and
** lately ; ts is evident from the book called Or-
*' do Romanus ; That xvhdX was observed with-
*' m the space of 300 years, was not the rite
*' observed in the city, but that retained by
*' the Order of St. Dominic ! That the vest-
" ments, vessels, and other ornaments of
*' priests and altars, appear from books, sta-
*' tues, and pictures, to have been so much al-
** tered, that, were the ancients to return into
" the world, they would pot know them : And
" therefore, he concluded, that by binding all
" to observe them, they might be reprehended
" as condemning antiquity." The auditory v/ere
much displeasea with this discourse ; but the
bibhops of five Churches protected him, dccla'-
ring, " that he had delivered only the truth ;
'• and he, who would condemn him as scanda-
", lous or rash, discovered his own ignorance."
Let the R. explain these difficulties to the sa-
tisfaction of his readers, and then I will furnish
him with such an addition, as v/ill shew him
that he is only beginning his labours. Bat, be-
fore J roc/X'ding to this, let him consider, by
wliat
SCRIPTURfe AND THE FATHERS. 195
what authority he explains the doctrines of reli-
gion. He has no infallibility to direct his judge-
ment, or regulate his language : May he not,
then, inadvertently degenerate into a heretic,
and become. an innovator and a pretended re-
former ?
Taking the R., then, upon his own principles,
the Romish Church is destitute of relation to
Christ. She has been shewn to be without these
conjunct notes, which, he says, distinguish the
Church of Christ from every other society., Her
claim rests entirely upon her ovv^n testimony ;
and therefore, she should apply to herself the
words of the Saviour, " If I bear witness of my-
'^ self, my witness is not true *."
When he again attempts to describe the Ro-
mish Church in her past, present, and future
condition, it will be necessary for him to take a /
more accurate observation of the m.eaning of
scripture, and likewise, to discriminate between
descriptions of Christ's Church, and these given
of the Church of Rome. A very little attention
only will be requisite to prevent mistakes. He
appears already to know, that Babylon denotes
Rome in the book of Revelation. This rnay
serve as a key to open to him a fruitful source '
of information respecting the past conduct and
future state of that Church. Many other pro-
phets
* John, V. 31.
196 POPERY CONDSMIs^ED BY, giC.
phets also, besides St. John, have spoken a great
deal >abcut Babylon, which he might turn to
good account, in describing the pretensions and
future lot of the Church of Rome. At pre-
sent I will only mention one prophecy, which,
on account of its peculiar excellence, he can
scarcely overlook : " Thou saidst, I shall be a
" lady for ever ..... Therefore hear now this,
''- thou that art given to pleasures, that dv/ellest
*' carelessly, that sayest in thine heart, la??:, arid
" no?ie else beside me, I shall not sit as a widow,
"* neither shall I knov/ the loss of children ;
" But these two things shall come to thee, in a
" moment, in one day, the loss of children, and
" widowhood: they shall come upon thee, in
" their perfection, for the multitude of thy sor-
*• ceries, and for the great abundance of thine
" enchantments. For thou hast trusted in thy
'* wickedness ; thou hast said. None seeth me,
*' thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath per-
" verted thee ; and thou hast said in thine heart,
*' I am, and none else beside me. Therefore
*'• shall evil come upon thee \ thou shalt not
' know from whence it riseth, and mischief
'■ shall fall upon thee ; thou shalt not be able to
*' put it off; and desolation shall come upon
' thee suddenly, which thou shalt not know *."
C H A P,
T.
( 1^'^ )
CHAP. VI.
A REFUTATION OF THE R.'s ASSERTIONS CON-
CERNING THE SCRIPTURES AND
TRADITION.
1 HE existence of a Church presupposes the
appointment of certain principles for regulating
the faith and practice of its members. For this
purpose, he to whom the Church belongs has
given a revelation of his will in the scriptures ;
and this revelation Protestants consider as afford-
ing a sufficient knowledge of every thing to be
believed and practised. ^ The greater part of
modern Papists, however, have found this limi-
tation rather inconvenient. Many of the doc-
trines and usages of the Romish Church, being
not only destitute of foundation in scripture,
but diametrically opposite to its plainest dictates,
necessity has impelled them to provide for the
faith, or rather the credulity of the simple, a
much more extensive basis. To scripture, there-
fore, they have added the oral tradition of the
Church ; and lest any person should imagine
this 10 be a part of what the apostle Peter deno-
minates " vain conversation received by tradi-
" tion from the fathers *,", they have dignified
it
* I Pet.T. 1 8.
IDS POPERY CONDEM?fED BY
\
it with the anDellation of the " unwritten word
" of God.'^ On these two they have pretend-
ed to establish the faith and conduct of the
Church of Rome ; and her doctrines, it must
be confessed, exhibit marks of legitimate pro*
duction from this motley origin.
Papists, to enhance the character of tradition,
have found it requisite to detract from that value
which the primitive Church, like modern Pro-
testants, attached to the scriptures ; because the
use of the former is founded entirely upon the
supposed insufficiency of the latter. Every little
art, and the meanest sophistry, has been em-
ployed to diminish the affection of men for the
scriptures, and to excite their esteem for what
has been maintained to be the oral tradition of
the Church. To promote these laudable pur-
poses, the R. has expatiated, in a very lengthy
manner, and entered keenly into the spirit of
these quirks and quibbles, which have been often
found to' be the principal support of Popery. I
cannot, hov/ever, join him in these shouts of
triumph, which, on reviewing his labours, he
raises over the Protestant interests. A few ob-
servations will show him, that, though his so-
phistry may confuse the minds of wavering Pa-
pists, they will not affect Protestants, who have
been taught to render a reason. 1 will therefore
o
proceed to an examination .of what he has ad-
vanced respecting the scriptures and tradition,
that
SCRIPTURE AND TH r: FATHERS. 159
that the reader may see how little reason Pro-
testants have, as yet, to relinquish the former *
as an insufficient rule for directing the faith and
practice of the Church.
I. On the Scriptures.
To the scriptures the R. is willing to grant a
certain degree of usefulness : " What advan-
" tage then," says he, '* results from the pos-
'• session .of the Scriptures ? the greatest pos-
" siblc : 'tis assigned by St. Paul ; every writing
" divinely inspired is useful io teach^ to argue^ to
" instruct^ to correct in justice^ that the man of
*' God may be entire perfectly prepared for every
" good work, 2 Tim. iii. \Q, 17. These were
* the ends for which the Scriptures were writ-
*' ten, and given to the Church, already com-
" posed of Pastors tea<:hing and adniinistring
' sacraments, and of simple faithful, who were
" taught by their pastors*."
Overlooking entirely his mistranslation of this
apostle's language, I will merely contrast his
own views with the conduct of the Romish
Church. The greatest possible advantage, he
says, results from the possession of the scrip-
tures ; and to promote this advantage, they
were given to the pastors and the simple faith-
ful. Of this arrangement the Church of Rome
has
* P. 52.
200 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
has invented an improvement, by prohibiting'
the latter, except in particular cases, from using
freely this advantageous book. The pastors
pretended to find, that a practical use of the
scriptures was productive of consequences in-
consistent with the designs of God in giving this
revelation of his will ; and therefore, with all
Popish humility, they altered his arrangement ;
'^ Seeing it is manifest by experience^ says the
Council of Trent, " that if the holy bible be
" permitted to be read every where without dif-
*' ference in the vulgar tongue, more 'harm than
*' benefit results thence through the rashness of
*' men ; let it therefore be at the pleasure of
" the bishop or inquisitor, with the advice of
" the parish clerk or confessor, to grant the
** reading of the bible, translated by catholic
" authors, to those, who, in their opinion, will
*' thereby receive an increase of faith and piety.
*' This licence, let them have in writing ; and
" whoever shall, presume, without permission,
*' to read or possess such bibles, may not re-
" ceive the absolution of his sins, till he has re-
*' turned them to the ordinary *."
This was caring for the souls of the simple in
a very high degree ; and these reverend eccle-
siastics ought to receive due praise, for their af-
fection. At the same time, the whole truth
should be told ; and this the reader will find ia
the
* Regula 4. List of prohibited Ecokr.
SCniPTURE AND THE FATHERS, 201
the speech of Richard du Mans in that Council,
mentioned by F. PauL He asserted, '•' that the
*' scriptures were become useless, . since the
" schoohnen had established the truth of all
" doctrines ; and tho* they were formerly read
" in the Church, for the instruction of the
♦' peopJe, and still read in the service ; yet they
" ought not to be made a study, because the Lu-
*' therans only gained those who read them */
But, though the R. seems at hrst view to
differ from these venerable doctors, their senti-
ments receive his i^ost cordial approbation. He
accordingly proceeds to show, that, notv/ith-
standing the great advantage which attends the
acquisition of the scriptures, they are destitute
of every prerequisite to usefulness : for, though
his ostensible object be to prove them an insuffi-
cient rule of faith, his obvious intention is to
induce Papists to disregard them entirely. This
will be sufficiently discovered by a little attention
to the scope of his reasoning.
That the scriptures are an insufficient rule, he
endeavours to show, by affirming them to be
very much mutilated. " No human industry,"
says he, " can discover all the books which
*"■' have been canonical, many of them are irre-
** coverably lost. Adam Cotzen proves that
** twenty books of the Scripture are lost, Q, 4.
*' Ch. 8.^— Thus for Ex. it is said in the hook of
" the
* Lib. 2. p. 176.
202 POPERY CONDEMNhD EY
** the wars of the Lord, — Numb. xxi. 14. — This
*' book is lost, and Solomon spoke three thousand
" proverbs and jive. — 1 Kir.gs iv. 32. Where
*' are they ? t^ow the rest of the acts of Solomon
" first and last^ are they not written in the book
*' of Nathan the prophet, and in the prophecy of
*' Abijah, and in the vision of Iddo. — 2 Chron.
*' ix. 29. The first of Chronicles terminated in
'' these words. Now the acts of David, the king
" first and last, behold be they not written in the
" book of Sa?niiel the seer, and in the book of Na-
*' than the prophet, and in the book of Gad the
" seer. All these books are consigned to obli-
*• vion ; two of St. Pauls Epistles shared the
*' sam^e fate, one to the Loodiceans, which in
*' his last Epistle to the Cclossians he ordered to
" be read in that Church, and one which he
*' mentions in his first Epistle to the Corinthians,
*' I wrote to you an Epistle, v. 9. This Epistle
" does not appear ; St. Matthew cites a whole
*' quotation from Jeren^ias, which is not in his
" book, as transmitted to us. There is some-
*' thing similar to it in the book gf Zacharias ;
*' but it must have been then in the book of Je-
** remias, or St. Matthew would not have cited
*' it, that may be the reason why the Jews re-*
*' trenched it ; the same Evangelist had said, it
*' was spoken by the prophets, he shall be called a
" ISazarean. — li. 23."
*' Chrysostome writing on this text, says
** many
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 205
'* 7nany of the prophetical monuments have perish-
'* ed : for the Jews bting careless and not only
" careless^ but impious^ they have carelessly lost
"■ some of the^e monuments^ others they have part*
" ly burfit^ partly torn to pieces, Ho?n, 9.
'' St. Justin arguing against Tryphon, shows
" that the Jew's did make away with many books
" of the old Testament, lest it should appear
*• consistent with the new *."
This, it must be confessed, is an extraordina-
ry passage, both in its sentiment and composi-
tion. It must be gratifying to the R. to reflect,
that the identical weapons which Deists employ
against the Christian religion are used by himself
against the doctrines of the Reformation. In
collecting this catalogue of stale objections to
the perfection of scripture, instead of refuting
the doctrine of Protestants, he has erazed the
very foundation of all Popish faith. How does
he account for the perfect preservation of oral
tradition by a Church, which has lost a part of
the written word of God ? Does he think the
simple faithful vvill be convinced and edified by
informing them., that the-scriptures, which were
constantly read in the Church, and by indivi-
duals daily in every part of the world, have
been partially lost ; but oral traditions never
met with selfish men to corrupt them, nor care-
less ones to neglect them, and therefore remain
pure
* P. 61. 62.
204^ POPERY CONDEMNED BY
pure and perfect as when at first revealed. He
cannot reasonably expect from them such a
stretch of credulity, unless thev be relations of
Solomon's simple, " who believe every word,
" and inherit folly *." If these scriptures,
which he thinks lost, were necessary for the
perfection of the saints, how is the deficiency to
be -supplied ? Perhaps tradition, like -the rolling
snow-ball, has picked up as much in the revolu-
tion of so many centuries, ,as will compensate
for the wants of the scriptures.
After all that the R. has said upon this sub-
ject, it can be very easily shown, that the scrip-
turts are not in such a m.utilated state as he flat-
ters himself. Adam Cotzen, he assures us,
has proven the loss of twenty books. If Adam's
proofs were so decisive, why did the R. with-
hold them from his readers ? They might have
probably produced a belief v»^hich must be with-
held from his own.
To prove his assertion, he mentions certain
books to which refeiu-nce is made in the scrip-
tures ; such as, the book of the wars of the
Lord, certain proverbs of Solomon, &c. But he
has forgotten to show, either that these v.^ere writ-
ten by inspiration, or that they ever constituted
any part of the canon of scripture. If he sup-
pose all the books mentioned in scripture were
written under the immediate direction of God,
for
* Prov. i.'Iv.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHEHS. 205
for the improvement of the Church, why does
he not also refer us. to what Solomon wrote con-
cerning trees, beasts, fowls, creeping things, and
fishes * ? And likewise, to that multitude of
WTitings which the magicians burnt on their
conversion to Christianity f ? These would have
made a considerable show among the losses of
the Church, and attached the simple more
closely to the invaluable traditions which have
flowed from the mouths of former generations.
After all the vast loss of books which the
Church has sustained, more remain than are
carefully perused even by the R. " Solomon,"
says he, " spoke three thousand and five pro-
" verbs." By turning to the place to which he
refers his readers, he will find the following
words, " He spake three thousand proverbs,
" and his songs were a thousand and five."
Two of St. Paul's epistles, he says, are con-
signed to oblivion ; " one to the Laodiceans
" which in his last Epistle to the Colossians he
" ordered to be read in that Church, and one
*' which he mentions in his first Epistle to the
*' Corinthians, / wrote to you an Epistle, v. 9.
Will he inform us, where he learnt that this
apostle wrote more than one episiie to the Co-
lossians ? When he calls the cue which remains
the last, why does he not add the others to his
list of lost books ? That he wrote one epistle to
I this
* I Kings, iv. ^l» f Acts, xix. 19.
206 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
this part of the Church, is universally believed ;
but the R. is the first person who ever heard of
more.
If he vt^ould persuade his readers that Paul
wrote an epistle to the Laodiceans, he must
draw his proof from some other quarter than
the epistle.to the Colossians. In the last chap-
ter of that book, an epistle from Laodicea is
mentioned ; but without the most distant hint of
its being the work of this apostle. Some have
rather supposed it one written to himself ; and
others, that it was the first to Timothy, which is
dated from that place. If it would gratify the R.
to read an epistle tc the Laodicean?, ascribed to
St. Paul, he will find it in Hutter's New Testa-
ment, or in Leusden's Philologus Hasbreo-Grse-
cus. But this is too apocryphal, even for the
Church of Rome to receive.
Nor has he any better foundation for main-
taining tlie loss of an epistle to the Corinthians,
Had he attended to the scope and language of
St. Paul in the passage which he has quoted, he
would have seen, that he merely refers to the
preceding verses. He had been inculcating it
as the duty of the members of the Church, to
'keep themselves apait from persons guilty of
fpriucation, which is publicly licensed within the
precincts of the Romish Church. But, lest
the Corinthians should view his prohibition in
too extensive a meaning, he proceeds to inform
them,
bCRIPTUKE AKD THE FATHERS. 207
them, that it referred only to Christians. If
the R. please to consult the apostle's language,
he will find that he does not say, " I wrote you
" an epistle," but " I have written to you in
" the epistle, not to associate with fornicatorb.
'' Yet not altogether with the fornicators of thi^^
" world," &c.
In attempting to prove the scriptures mutila-
ted, he descends from books to single verses :
*' St. Matthew," says he, '^ cites a whole quo-
" tation from Jeremias, which is not in bis
" book as transmitted to us. There is some-
" thing similar to it in the book of Zacharias ;
'* but it must have been then in the book of Je-
*' remias, or St. Matthew would not have cited
•' it, that may be the reason why the Jews re-
'* trenched it."
The passage to which he alludes is in the
twentv-seventh of Matthew : " Then was ful-
'• ^ filled that which w-as spoken by Jeremy the
*' prophet," &c. This quotation is indeed only
to be found in the prophecies of Zechariah ; but
it does net follow, that ever it existed in any
other part of the scriptures. Had the Jews, as
he supposes, retrenched it from the book of Je-
remiah, they would scarcely have troubled them-
selves to insert it elsewhere. If the R. imagine
this passage a strong proof of his assertion, he
shows himself very ignorant of biblical criticism.
These Fathers, whom he venerates so highly,
1 2 can
208 POPERY CONDEMNED B^
can teach him to solve this difficulty, without
9 supposing any part of the scriptures lost. Sr.
Augustine mentions, that the word Jeremiah
was to be found, in his days, only in some co-
pies of this evangeHst, while others had merely
" the prophet ;" and therefore he conchides the
last to be the genuine reading *. The same
w^ord is also wanting in the Syriac and Persic
versions. It is therefore with reason supposed,
that some transcriber had, by mistake, placed
the name Jeremiah in the margin as a refe-
rence, which afterward came to be inserted in
the text.
As a farther proof of the mutilation of the
scriptures, the R. produces another proof from
the gospel of Matthew ; " It was spoken by the
*' prophets, he shall be called a Nazarearu
" ii. 23.'"
This he supposes a quotation from formxCr
writers, whose works have perished. After
telling us that St. Jerom.e was " a ,man pro-
" foundly versed in the scriptures^/ who with
*' every advantage from nature, vitid every ex-
" ternal adventitious aid, had made them the
*' study of a long and laborious lifef," he can
have no objection to give his observations on
these words a hearing. " If the Evangelist,''
says he, " had referred to any particular pas-
*' sage of Scripture, he would not have said, It
" vjas
* De Consent. Evang. Lib. 5. f P. 177.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 209
** was spolien bij the prophets^ but rather bij the
*' prophet. But now when he uses the word
" prophets in the pUiral number, he plainly
" shows that he does not take the words from
*' the Scripture, but the sense *."
The R. has likewise endeavoured to show,
from Chrysostom and Justin Martyr, that many
books of scripture have perished, through the
carelessness and impiety of the Jews. Had he
been much acquainted with biblical literature,
he w^ould have hesitated to advance an opinion
w^hich has been long ago exploded by the most
learned doctors of the Romish Church. Mari;^
of the Fathers, it will be acknowledged, have
maintained it in their writings ; but they did it
through the influence of prejudice and igno-
rance. The Church, during the first ages, had
little acquaintance with the Old Testament, ex-
cept by the Septuagint translation. This, by the
carelessness of the clergy from whom the Ro-
mish Church pretends to have received her tra-
ditions, had undergone considerable changes.
On this account, in their disputes with the J^v^-'s,
objections were frequently made to their quota-
tions from the Old Testament ; and these Fa-
thers, unacquainted with the real cause of diffe-
rence, retorted by a charge of mutilation and
corruption. They were, .however, with the ex-
ception of a few individuals, totally ignorant
I 3 both
* Comment, in loc.
210 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
both of the Hebrew language, and of the state
of the scriptures among the Jews, and therefore
incompetent judges of the truth of their asser-
tion. On the contrary, Origen and Jerome,
who were well acquainted with both the Hebrew
text and the Septuagint, have completely excul-
pated the Jews from this charge ; and at the
same time shown the latter to be in a very cor-
rupted condition. " If any one," says Jerome,
f' should say that the Hebrew books have been
" corrupted by the Jews, let him hear the opi-
*' nion of Origen on this point : Had the Scribes
' f^ and Pharisees^ says he, been guiltij of any
*' crime ^ our Lord and his disciples^ who accused
^' them of others, would not have passed it over
" in silence *." That they did not mutilate nor
corrupt them afterwards, he proves in many
parts of his works, by showing, that in propor-
tion as the Septuagint had been less altered by
transcribers, it bore a greater resem.blance to its
Hebrew original. F. Simon, a Popish doctor,
-to whose learning and biblical researches the R.
can scarcely be a stranger, says, " If any per-
*' son reflect upon the objections of Justin and
*' some other Fathers to the Hebrew Scrip-
" tures, he will find them founded on this prin-
" ciple, that the Septuagint version alone is au-
" thentic and divine, and whatever is not con-
" formed to it, has been corrupted. But the
" principle
* Comment, in Is. C. 6.
scranuRE and the fathers. 211
*• principle is not true, and therefore their con-
" elusion must be false *."
It must doubtless displease the R. exceeding-
ly to learn, that the scriptures are not in such
a mutilated state as he imagined. Should he,
however, still retain his opinion, and write again
upon this subject, let him specify one lost book
which was divinely inspired, and ever admitted
into the canon of scripture ; that he may show
something else than mere vague assertion, in
opposition to the united testimony of learned
Protestants and Papists.
As a farther proof of the insufficiency of
scripture, he attempts to insinuate, that what
remains is in many places so corrupted, as to
render the original meaning totally uncertain f.
Various readings, it is true, have crept into the
inspired writings through the mistakes of tran-
scribers ; but both Protestants and Papists, who
have spent the greatest part of their lives in ex-
amining and comparing the numerous manu-
scripts which remain, have drawn a very diffe-
rent conclusion from the R. Their extensive
researches have always terminated in a declara-
tion, that they never found any change which
could affect either the faith or practice of the
Christian. Let him show, from the writings of
the Fathers, that the scriptures ever exhibited
other doctrines of religion than at present ; and
I 4 then,
* Hist. Crir. de vieux Test. p. i. c. iS. f P. 66.
212 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
then, perhaps, his readers may acquiesce in hivS
assertion.
From the supposed obscurity of the scriptures,
the R. draws another proof of their insufficien-
cy. " To refer a man," says he, " to the
*' Scriptures as his only guide, is to refer the
"' benighted traveller to an intricate path, in-
" stead of giving him a guide to conduct him
** through it, and enable him to avoid the pre-
'* cipiccs, which may be in the way *."
He had formerly assented, with the apostle
Paul, to the usefulness of scripture ; but it
seems this utility consists in leading persons
astray. Moses certainly did not imagine the
doctrines transmitted by him to the Church hke
•' an intricate path to the benighted traveller,'*
when he said to Israel, " Thou shalt teach them
*' diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of
*' them when thou sit test in thine ho'jse, and
** when thou w^alkest by the vvay, and when
" thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
** And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon
" thine hand ; and they shall be as frontlets be-
*' tween thine eyes. And thou shalt write them
*''upon the posts of thy house, and on thy
" gates f.*^' Let us observe how the Bereans
stumbled over " precipices,'* by perusing the
scriptures : " They searched them daily, whe-
" ther
* P. 90. f Deut. vi. 7. — 9.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 2l'^
'• ther these things were so. Therefore mayiij of
'^ ihem believed'':'
1 am willing to allow, that the scriptures seem
Tcry obscure to the R. Did he give ihem any
ether chr.raCter, it would be very wonderful in-
deed.- The manner in which he has quoted
many parts of them, discovers the most striking
inattention even to the w^ords of the scriptures ;.
. and how can he expect to understand their
meaning ? Had he ever given them a perusal
sufHciently deliberate and candid, perhaps he
would not have comi:)lained so much of their
obscurity.
But the R'. thinks the diversity of sentiment
entertained respecting the meaning of the scrip-
tures a decisive evidence of their obscurity.
^ Will the Rev. Ex.," savs he,.. " j3retend that
' a knowledge of all the precepts of the divine
• lav/ is so easily discovered in the Scriptures,
' that even the most stupid cannot mistake it?
• if so, whence this variety of opinions on the
• sense of certain texts ?' whence these endless
' controversies^ not an:iongst the unlearned,
' who are incapable of controversial discussion,
• but amongst the learned themselves ? with
• what propriety can that be called a common.
- highv/ay, in which the unwise shall not v;an-
' der, v»"hich the learned themselves cannot find
^ without the greatest difficulty f?*'
I 5 These
7 Acts, xvli. i:. 12. f P. ^y 56,
~^i' rOPERY CONDLMNED BY
These are a part of his observations on the
following words of Isaiah, " An highway shall
*' be there, and a way, and it shall be called,
"" The way of holiness ; the unclean shall not
'* pass over it ; but it shall be for those : the
" wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err
" therein *." A little attention to the scope of
this prophet w^ould have prevented the R. from
attaching to his language these imaginary diffi-,
culties. Had he only given himself the trouble
to inquire where this highway should be, the
preceding verses would have shown him, that it
is not merely where the scriptures are enjoyed,
but where these are connected with the effusion
of the Holy Spirit, as a spirit of w^isdom and
revelation in the knowledge of Christ: " For
" in the wilderness shall waters break out, and
" streams in the desert f." Though the scrip-
tures contain all the doctrines of religion, a
proper knowledge of them originates in the ope-
rations of the Spirit, who leads the Christian
to the truth, not by any new revelation, but by
preparing his mind to understand these doctrines
W'hich have been already revealed in the scrip-
tures.
Had the R. attended to this principle of reli-
gion, it would have completely obviated the ob-
jection which he has made to the perspicuity of
the scriptures, from the various sentiments and
controversies
* .Qh. XXXV. ver. 8. f Vcr 6,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 215
controversies of the learned. If these cannot
find the way wiihout great difficulty, the unwise,
he thinks, must be in a dangerous condition.
But why does he place the unwise as an antithe-
sis to the learned ? Learning and wisdom, and
want of learning and folly, are far from being
synonymous terms. There may be a great deal
of judgement displayed, where there is no hu-
man learning ; and, on the contrary, learned
men often discover themselves to be the greatest
of all fools. Had he taken his observations
from real life, he would have seen, that many
persons who are but poorly qualified to manage
their secular affairs, conduct themselves with
great propriety in religion ; while men of learn-
ing wander in their imagination, and, professing
themselves to be v/ise, - have become fools. If
he have, ever read the histories of the bloodv
persecutions w^hich our ancestors suffered from
the Romish Church, he must have frequently
observed with astonishment, that many persons
whom he has. ranked among the unwise, by
their knowledge of the scriptures, and the acute-
ness of their replies, have put to shame and si-
lence the learned and persecuting Popish priests
who opposed them. Should he have any diffi-
culty to account for these facts, it discovers his
ignorance of these scriptures which he attemots
to vilify : '* Not many wise men after the flesh,
^^ not many mighty, not many noble, are called :
16 <c 3,;;
216 fOPERY CONDEMNED BY
" But God hath chosen the fooUsh thmgs of
" the world to confound the wise ; and God
" hath chosen the weak things of the world to
*' confound the things which are mighty ; and
*' base things of the world, and things which are
" despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things
" which are net, to bring to nought things
*' that are, that no flesh should glory in his pre-
" sence *." " I thank thee, O P'ather, Lord
" of heaven and earth, because thou hast hid
" these things from the wise and prudent, and
*' hast revealed them unto babes. Even so,
*' "Father, for so it seemed good in thy sight f."
I have no intention to declare the scriptures
entirely free from obscurity to us at present.
Many future events, of which the prophets
have spoken, are yet little understood by the
Church. There are also in the scriptures many"
allusions to customs and transactions, which are
now totally unknov;n. But these can constitute
no objection to their sufficiency as a rule of faith
and practice. If the R. can shew any obscu-
rity in the statem.ent v/hich they give of the
doctrines of the gospel, or the precepts of mo-
rahty, we may perhaps' be induced to afford him
a farther hearing. Till then, he must permit
Protestants to adhere to the scriptures.
That a diversity of opinion respecting the
meaning of many passages of scripture subsists
among Protestants, will be freely admitted. But
why
* I Cor. i. 26. — 29. f Ma", xi. 25. 26.
SCRIPTURE AXD THE FATHERS. 21 7
why does the R. thence infer their obscurity ?
Ought he not rather ro acknowledge, as an in-
controvertible fact, that there 13 a vaiiety of
interests and prejudices among men, and a di-
versity in the degree of their understandings ?
The variety of views, which persons take of the
scriptures, no more proves them obscure, than
the ignorant mistakes, or the quibbles of a law-
yer, demonstrate the obscurity of the laws of a
nation. As he discovers a great affection for
the writings of the Fathers, we may observe
what they have said concerning the obscurity of
the scriptures. Such orthodox company will
help to kindle his angry zeal against the scrip-
tures into wrath.
" Believe me," says St. Augustine, ^* what-
" ever is in these Scriptures is lofty and divine ;
*' they contain nothing but the truth, and that -
*' doctrine, v^hich is most fit for the repair and
•' restoration of souls ; and they are so dispos-
*' ed, that every man may draw thence what
" is sufficient for him, if he. come devoutly
'• and piously affected, as true religion re-
*• quires*."
" In the Scriptures," says he farther, « all
*' these things which respect faith and practice,
'• are plainly exhibited f :" And again, " The
" Scripture speaks these plain things which are
" contained
* De Utilitate Cred. c. 6. f De Dcctr. Christ.
Lib. 2. c. (\
2iS • POPERY CONDLMNED BY
" contained in it, like a familiar friend without
" disguise, to the heart of the unlearned as
" well as of the learned * :" And also, " The
'• Scriptures contain the same things in those
" places which may be easily understood, which
*' it does in the abstruse t«^' •
" These things," says Basil, " which seem
" to be ambiguous and obscurely spoken in
" some places of the holy Scriptures, are ex-
" plained in other places, by those which are
" acknowledged to be perspicuous J."
" In the Scriptures," says Chrysostom, " all
*• things necessary are perspicuous ||."
These quotations are sufficient to shew, that
the Fathers did not imagine the scriptures so
obscure, as the R. would wish them. Should
he express the least dissatisfaction with their
number, a much more extensive collection are
at his service. The sentiments of Popish di-
vines, to corroborate the Fathers, can also be
produced from any later period upon which he
pleases to fix. Even among Papists, there have
been almost always some, who did not allow
their judgements to be perverted by the mer-
cenary doctrines of the Romish Church.
From the mysteries contained in the scrip-
tures, the R. seems to insinuate their insuffi-
ciency.
* Ad. Volu=. Ep. 3. f Ibid. X ^^g- brev. resp.
ad. Interiog. 267. || Hon . 3. in Sec. ad ThessaL -
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 2I9
clency. " From the extreme simplicity of the
*' Christian religion both in faith and morals,"
says he, " the Ex. thinks he knows the suffi-
" ciency of the Scriptures. What ! the myste-
*• ries of religion simple ! the mysteries of the
** Trinity, of 'the incarnation, of original sin
*' and predestination simple * !"
A very few words will suffice to shew the fu-
tility of these exclamations. Did it never oc-
cur to hini, that the existence of a mystery may
be revealed with great clearness and simplicity ?
Every object in nature is enveloped in mystery
when traced to first principles ; and yet no per-
son doubts their existence, though he cannot ex-
plain them. In this point of view, these doc-
trines which he has specified, though mysterious
in their nature, and above the comprehension
of men, are proposed as articles of faith in a
very plain and simple manner. We are not
commanded to know how three persons exist in
the divine nature, how the Son of God became
man, nor why Adam's sin is imputed to his de-
scendants. We are only to receive the divine
testimony that these things are so ; and certain-
ly, nothing can be more simply plain respecting
these points, than the declarations of scripture ;
'' There are three that bear record in heaven,
*' the Father, the Word, and the Holy Spirit ;.
* and these three are . one t.— The Word was
" made
* P, 101. f 1 John, V, 7.
^20 PCFERY CO:^DEAINSD EY
'* made flesh, and dwelt among us *. — By the-
" ofTence of one, judgement came upon all men
*' to condemnation f."
The R. farther tries to persuade his readers,
that many important doctrines of religion are
vei^ indistinctly taught in the scriptures. " The
divinity of Christ," says he, " and his con-
substantiality ^ith the father, is an article pf
faith, and this is ro far from being distinctly
taught in the Scriptures, that the Arians elud-
ed every text of Scripture brought in proof of it..
See Eusebius of Caesarea : his epistle in Theo-
dorct, K. 2. ch. 12. in which he expounds
even th.e term consubstantial in an arian sense ;
that there is but one person in Christ, the
Nestorians could not see in the Scriptures, nor
could the Eutychians discover that in him
there are two natures, the divine and human.
To come to ourselves we Catholics think
transubstantiation clearly revealed in the Scrip-
ture, Protestants cannot find it there. Lu-
therans think consubstantiation 'distinctly
taught, Z'.iinglians deny it. In a word, there
is no description of Christians, who dotiot find
or pretend to find their tenets in Scripture; and
as their tenets are in general contradictory,
even those which are founded in truth cannot
be ro distinctly taught as the Ex. pretends J."
' ' This,
■^ Jol •• ■ -. I R.m. V. iS. t P- 99- '^''
SCRIPTURE AND THE FAT.IlERS. 221
This, it must be confessed, is a very extraor-
dinary article. To infer the indistinct revela-
tion of truth from the doubts of men, destroys
the very foundation of both natural and revealed
religion. Some have doubted the existence of
a God ; and therefore, according to the R.'s
principles, the proofs to the contrary exhibited
in the works of nature, the operations of pro-
vidence, and the scriptures, are very indistinct.
Some have doubted their own existence : and
tlierefore, it is a dubious point, that ever they
existed at all. Or, to come closer to the point,
Protestants have not only doubted, but denied
all Popish peculiarities to be doctrines of reli-
gion ; and therefore, the R» should scruple to
believe them : Has he never observed opposite
sentiments entertained concerning the simplest
transactions of life, through the passions and
prejudices of men ? Why then does he overlook
the influence of these in the present case, and
blame the scriptures for indistinctness ?
The divinity of Christ, he says, is indistinct-
ly taught in the scriptures. This opinion, he
has not formed from an examination of the
scriptural proofs of it, but because the Arians
explained them away in their disputes with the
orthodox. Upon this principle, the most cun-
ning quibbler has always the best cause. It is
much to the credit of the Popish faith, tliat it
must be supported by Arian sophistry. Lot the
R.
222 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
R. read the scriptures for hims'.-lf, instead of
resting his faith upon the testimony of the
Arians ; and he will find the divinity of Christ
very distinctly taught. If he please also to con-
sult Justin Martyr, he will perceive his assertion
to be false, and totally groundless. In his dia-
logue with Trypho the Jew, he tells him, " that
" he vi^ould produce such proofs of the divini-
" ty of Christ, even from the Old Testament,
" that no person would be able to contradict
*' them."
It would afford a far more honourable testi-
mony to the R/s judgement, were he, instead
of producing such silly objections to the suffi-
ciency of scripture, candidly to acknowledge that
the Romish Church hates the light, and is nei-
ther willing to come to it herself, nor to permit
others, leet her deeds should be reproved. To
encourage him to such an hontst confession, I
can assure him, it is not without precedent even
in the Church of Rome. Among other advices
which the bishops assembled at Bononia gave
Pope Juhus III., for establishing the Romish
Church, the R. will find their views of the scrip-
tures very plainly delineated. " We have re-
*' served to the last,*' said they, " the most con-
*' siderable advice, which we could at this time
*' give your Holiness ; And here you must be
** awake, and exert all your force, to hinder as
'' much as you possibly can the gospel from be-
*' ing
SCRIPTURE AND TPIE FATHERS. 22S
' ing read in all the cities that are under your
' dominions ; particularly in the vulgar tongue.
' Let that little of it, which they have in the
' mass, serve their turn, nor suff'^r any mortal
' to read more : For as long as men were con-
' tented with that httle, things went to your
' mind ; but they grew w^orse and w^orse, as
' soon as they began to read more. This in
• short is the book which has, above all others,
• raised these storms and tempests, by which
' we are almost driven to destruction ; And
' reallv, whoever dilio^entlv weio;hs the scrip-
' tures, and then considers all the things which
' are usually done in our Churches, will find
* that there is a vast difference between them,
* and that this doctrine of ours is very unlike,
' and in many things entirely repugnant to it.
* And no sooner does any man discover this,
♦ being excited by seme of our learned adver-
' saries, than he continues bawling against us,
' till he has made the whole matter public, and
* rendered us odious to all men. 'rhose papers,
• therefore, are to be siifled ; but you must use
• caution and diligence in it, lest that create us
• greater disturbance. D. John Delia Casa, bi-
* shop of Bcneventum, the legate of your See
at Venice, behaved himself handsomely in that i
' business : For though he did not openly and
' avowedly condemn that book of the gospel,
' nor order it to be suppressed j yet in an ob-
'- SCU1*3
224 rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' scure dissembling manner, he insinuated as
*' much ; while in that long catalogue of heretics
" which he published, he has found fault with
" some of the doctrines maintained in it j parti-
*' cularly some chapters, which seem principally
** to oppose us. Seriously, it w^as a renowned
*' action, whatever others may chatter. At first
" view, it seemed ridiculous to many that he
*' should condemn at once such a number of
*' authors who had written about religion ; and
*' that he should publish something to which he
** gave this title, " Of the Divine Art ;*' when
" he himself had never read so much as one syl-
** lable of divinity. But that is of no conse-
*' quence : and they who censure him have
" little business of their own to employ them ;
*' and they likewise show themselves to be mere
" novices in the Court of Rome.'*
From the institution of teachers in the Church
the R. farther attempts to shew the insufficiency
of the scriptures. " The apostle, (Eph. iv.
*' ll.)/' says he, " informs us, in language as
" strong and as plain as words can express it.
*' That the Pastors given by J. C. are the law-
'* ful teachers, who by their ministry are to col-
*' lect into one body, all the members of J. C. ;
*' from them' therefore, we are to receive the
** faith ; elsewhere we seek it in vain *.'*
We Protestants will not deny the usefulness
of
SCRIPTURE AND TflE FATHERS. 225
of teachers in the Church. We v/ill not, how-
ever, acknowledge them useful as a " rule'' of
faith and practice. The R. ought to recollect,
that he has yet to prove their infallibility ; and
therefore, they have no. right to the implicit
obedience of the members of the Church.
" From the Pastors," says he, " we are to re-
" ceive the faith ; elsewhere we seek it in vain."
Did the Bereans seek the faith in vain, when
they searched for it in the scripture ? Or did
St. Augustine receive it from the pastors of the
Church, when he was converted by reading in
the epistle to the Romans ?
But says he farther, " Will the Ex. inform
*' us of what use is a teacher lo a man who
*' teaches himself ? or what is the use of a pastor
*' to a man who finds all the spiritual food
*' which is necessary in the scriptures ? and
*' not only finds ic there, but according to the
*• principles of the Ex. must find it there and
'* not elsevv^here. Why not substitute Printers
*' to Bishops and Ministers in the Church ?"
If the R. be yet ignorant of the use of
preaching in the Church, it is time for him to
learn it. Preaching may be very necessary and
useful as a mean of salvation, though not as
a rule of faith. Faith, he has properly obser-
ved, is founded on divine testimony. Unless,
therefore, he can demonstrate, that his ideas in
preaching are infallibly dictated by the Spirit of
God,
\
226 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
God, they cannot be a foundation for Christian
belief. One great end of preaching must then
be, to direct men to the scriptures as a rule of
faith. If he say, where men have the scrip-
tures and peruse them, preaching, according to
this principle, becomes superfluous, he ought
to rem.ember that it is an ordinance of God, to
which his blessing is annexed ; and on this ac-
count, when God gives us line upon line, we
must account neither unnecessary. In the sa-
craments of baptism and the Lord's supper,
there is no doctrine exhibited, nor blessing re-
ceived, beside these which are revealed and con-
veyed by preaching ; and yet no Christian ima-
gines these superfluous on this account. Be-
sides, the R. should know, that preaching is
useful in the Church, not merely as a m.ean for
the instruction of the ignorant, but also for the
comfort of the informed ; and this end is fre-
quently promoted, not by giving them a more
extensive view of the doctrines of religion, but
by the Spirit of God, through the ordinance of
preach? T^.g, applying to their minds these truths
v/ith which they were previously acquainted ;
*• Wherefore," says an apostle, " I wijl not be
" negligent to put you always in remembrance
" of these things, though ye know them, and
" be estcblished in the present truth *."
The R. inverts the order of religion, when
he
* 2 Pet. i. 12.
/
SCRIPTURE AND THK FATHFRS. 227
he says, " The scriptures are useful and the
*' public ministry iiidispensibiy necessary." The
reason which he has assigned for this, though
specious, is totally inconclusive : " For v.'ithout
*' the Scriptures the fiiithful have been sancti-
" fied before the Scriptures were written, but
*' not without the ministry of the Pastors and
*' teachers.*'
When he has informed us, that pastors and
teachers were given to the Church before the
scriptures, could he likewise add, that they were
given before the word 'of God was revealed?
Pastors he must allow to be merely echos of the
divine testimony. Where then is the force of
his reasoning ? He might as well say, words are
indispensibly requivsite to the happiness of men 5
but to convey any meaning by them is of less
•importance. Besides, when he says, that the
faithful have not been sanctified without the
ministry of pastors and teachers, he beiies the
tesdmony of his own Church, and unsanctifies
some of thj most eminent saints in the Popish
calendar. Let him tell us, who sanctified these
persons, who, from mistaken views of religion,
forsook the habitations of men and every social
virtue, retired into deserts and dreary solitudes,
and never left their dens, but when urged by
the pressing calls of nature. Yet, according
to Popish principles, these arrived at greett canc-
dty
223 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
tity without the ministry of pastors and teach-
ers.
To show the superior usefulness of pastors to
the scriptures, he attempts to produce proof
from, themselves. " The angel," says he, " did
*' not refer Cornelius the Centurion to the
" Scriptures, that he might find perfection and
" sanctification in them, but ordered him to send
'• for St. Peter and learn from him what he
*' was to do, lie will tell you^ said the angel,
*' what is necessary for you to do, Acts^ x. 6.
*• If the Scriptures were alone sufficient to per-
" feet and furnish him to all good works why
" not tell him so ? why direct him to learn his
** duty, not from the Scriptures, but from St.
'* Peter the Chief Pastor of the Church ? it
" seems the Angel was ignorant of this nev/
" doctrine ; he thought as plain men do now-a-
•' days, that 'twas the duty of the pastor to di-
" rect the sheep in the choice of pasture, and
*' not permit them to range at large amongst
*' poisonous herbs, and exposed to ravening
" wolves or wily foxes *.'^
It- seems, the R. at last thinks reading the
scriptures no better than ranging in a field of
poisonous herbs \ and therefore God has pro-
vided pastors to guard his flock against such
noxious fare. The Romish clergy, it must be
confessed, have discharged their duty in this re-
spect,
* P. 96.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 259
spcct most admirably. When any of the flock
have swallowed such dangerous food, they have
generally declared thein to be under deadly dis-
ease ; and being wdl aware of the mischief which
one scabby sheep may do in a flock, they have
seldom failed to use the actual cautery ; or, as
plain men would say now-a-days, because fire is
an excellent purifier, they roasted the sheep to
destroy the contagion, and be an example to the
flock.
The R.'s judgement must be very much warp-
ed indeed, if he imagine that the minds of Pro-
testants can be perverted by such trifling quib-
bles. The angel did not direct Cornehus to the
scriptures , but the reason is obvious. It was
the design of God to exhibit to him the Saviour
*' already" crucified and exalted, as a founda-
tion of faith for the rLmJssion of sins to both
Jews and Gentiles. The angel, therefore, could
not direct him to the Old-Testament scriptures,
because they taught no such doctrine ; nor could
he direct him to the Nev/ Testament, for it was
not yet written. If the R. say, preaching must
then be more excellent than the scriptures, be-
cause it was previously instituted ; he ought to
recollect, that though the New Testament was
not written at this time, the word of God had
been revealed as the basis of all preaching ; and
was also preserved in purity by agency, of which
the Romish Church cannot prove the possession;
K If
230 rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
If he have ever read the first chapter of the
Acts, he has perhaps observed Christ's v*'ords
to his apostles : " Ye shall receive power, after
*' that the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and
*' ye shall be \vitnesses unto me *." Before
Peter, therefore, could be sent to Cornelias to
preach a gospel not yet written, it was neces-
sary for him to be under the immediate direc-
tion of the Spirit of God, and thereby com-
pletely guarded in his declaration of the truth.
The R.'s reasoning, then, cannot be conclusive,
till he has proven the Romish clergy under the
direction of the Spirit in the same manner ; and
there is only one way in which this can be done ;
let him show that they " have received power."
I lis proofs of this, he may perceive, must not
consist in the assertions of a Council, nor in
scriptures wrested from their real meaning;^
they must be such as were given by the
iipc.stles, when '* God bare them witness both
*• with sig-ns and wonders, and with divers mi-
** • racles and gifts of the Holy Ghost."
'i'he R. fai'ther maintains the insufliciencv of
"the scriptures, by asserting that all the doctrines
necessary to be believed are not actually contain-
ed in them. " The Rev. Ex.," says he, " will
*' have the modesty to admit, there are some
'* doctrinal truths which are not contained in
' the Scriptures ; the first of these is, that the
'' Scriptures
* ^■eT. 8.
SCRinUAE A^Z THE FATHERS. 231
'' Scriptures themselves are divinely Inspired,
*' and transmitted to us without interpolation or
'' corruption. In no book of the Scripture do
" we find that these books which we call cano-
** nical were divinely inspired, and if we did,
'* the difficulty would be only transferred to ii-
'* self: the question would immediately recur —
" on what authority do w^e believe that this
''• book, which makes the Scriptures divinely
" inspired, was itself divinely inspired. This
" argument is from the nature of things inso-
'• luble, and precludes even the possibility of
** evasion *."
When the R. was so active in snaring Pro-
testants, he did not foresee that he might be
caught himself. There is one evasion which he
either had not penetration to perceive, or ima-
gined that his readers would not observe. In
. . . . .*
the scriptures and oral tradition, Papists think
they find a sufBcient rule of faith ; and by the
latter, they pretend to know the inspiration of
the former. But how are we to know tradition
to be the unwritten word of God ? If the R.
reply, by the infallible testimony of the Church,
let him next inform us, how we are to ascertain
the truth of this testimony. " This argument
'• is from the nature of things insoluble, and
" precludes even the possibility of evasion."
But, upon this point, Protestants require no
K 2 evasions
* P. 48. 49.
1?^2 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
evasions to rid themselves of his imaginary
puzzles. A plain statement of the truth is suf-
ficient to obviate the objections of Papists,
Deists, and all other enemies of revelation, un-
designed or avowed. The R. may not be able
to solve his own argument ; but any Protestant
may, with the greatest ease. It can be shown
him, with very httle trouble indeed, that we
have both a rational certainty and a divine faith
respecting the inspiration and purity of the scrip-
tures.
In proving the canonical books genuine, w^e
are far from rejecting the testimony of the
Church. We do not, however, receive it be-
cause it is the testimony of a Church, or upon
the ground of that infallibility for which the R.
contends. We embrace it merelv as the evi-
dence of faithful witnesses, who could neither
be deceived, nor have any interest in ^nposing
upon posterity ; and this proof, we think, a-
mounts to a moral certainty. When Hardouin
the Jcsuite asserted, that Homer, Virgil, and all
the other Greek and Latin classics, were written
by the monks of the middle ages, the ridicule
of the literary world was deem.cd a sufficient re-
futation : and any person who would embrace
the same opinion with respect to the scriptures,
would be properly answered by a similar treat-
ment.
But, ill proving tlic insriration of the scrip-
turcs.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 233
turcs, we proceed upon very different ground.
Here we attend to the internal evidences, and
in them we find a deciwsive confirmation of this
point. The R. is mistaken when he vSays, '^ In
*' no book of the Scripture do we find that
'* these books which we call canonical were di-
" vinely inspired." However unwilling he may
be to permit Papists to read the scriptures, in
writing against Protestants, he should have read
them himself. He cannot deny that the books
of the Old Testament were received by our
Lord and his apostles, as dictated by the Spirit
of God. In their quotations from them, we
frequently find them using phrases of this im-
pcrt ; such as, " David himself said by the
*' Holy Ghost ;'' " The Spirit speakeih ;"
*' The Holy Ghost saith *." And what is said
of particular passages, is declared by St. Paul
respecting the whole canon of the Old-Testa-
ment scriptures. " From a child," says he to
Timothv, ''* thou hast known the Holy Scrip-
" tures . . , All Scripture is given by inspini-
" tion of God f." If the testimony of St.
Peter can be believed by a Papist, it will also
prove the inspiration of scripture : '- We have
*' also a m.ore sure word of prophecy ; where-
*' unto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a
" light that shineth in a dark place, . . . For
K 3 *' prophecy
* j\Iark, xii. 36. 1 Tim. iv. i. Ilcb. Hi. 7. &c.
•j- 2 Tim. iii. 15. 16.
234« POPiKY COXD£::>INED 3Y
" prophecy came not in old time by the will of
'' man : but holy men of God spake as they
'• were moved by the Holy Gho&t *."
If the R. next inquire where the inspiration
of the New Testament is taught, it will not be
more difficult to show him. Nothing is more
plainly revealed in scripture, than that these
persons by whom it was written received the
Iicly Spirit, to qualify them to be witnesses for
Christ. Their speech and writings concerning
him were consequently under his direction j and
hence says the apostle Paul, " Which things
*' also we speak, not in the words which man's
'■' wisdom teacheth, but wdnch the Holy Ghost
*' teacheth.'' If the R. then admit the New
Testament to be a witness concerning Christ, he
must also grant its inspiration.
Should he next say, " On what authority do
*' we believe that this book, which makes the
'• Scriptures divinely inspired, was itself divine-
•• ly inspired ?" his difficulty can be very easily
solved. A writing may possess internal marks,
by which the authenticity of its claims may be
proven, independent of external evidence.
Should any person present to him a letter, de-
claring it the production of a friend, concurring
circumstances might prevent him from believing
it upon the ground of this evidence. But if a
perusal showed him the modes of expression
and
- * 2 Per. i. 19. — 21.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FxVTHERS. 235
and sentiments peculiar to his friend ; and,
above all, particulars with which he only could
be acquainted, all hesitation would terminate.
In this manner, Protestants prove that the
scriptures are, what they pretend to be, a work
of inspiration. To show the R. how this sub-
ject can be discussetl, I will direct him at pre-
sent to one internal mark, by which we Protes-
tants know the inspiration of scripture ; and
that is, prophecy. The prediction of events
must originate in that Being, who has arranged
the plan, and regulates the government, of the
world. If he then compare the prophecies of
scripture with the operations of providence, he
will find the conclusion unavoidable. The his-
tory of kingdoms which are now no more, and
the present state of the Jews and of the Chris-
tian Church, demonstrate *' that holy men of
" God spake as they were moved by the Holy
*' Ghost*.''
The validity of this argument can be shown
to the R.'s perfect satisfaction, by turning his
attention to some part of prophecy, and point-
ing out the manner in which it has been accom-
plished. Perhaps, by looking into the writings
of the apostle Paul, we may find some appro-
priate and pertinent illustration.
This apostle has spoken many things respect-
ing the state of the Church in after ages. A-
K 4 mong
* 2. Pet. j. 2 1.
-o5 rOPERY COKDr.MVr.D -■■'^'
mong others, he has foiTtotd a gr...,. ..j,.,.,;acy
from reh'gion, which should occur among Chns-
tians. This has excited us Protestants to much
dih'gence, both to ascertam its nature, and mark
its progress. In attending to these points, \vq
have found a striking coincidence between the
prophecies of Paul and the conduct of the Ro-
mish Church. If the R. please, we will ob-
?>erve his Ianf(aa{;!;e ; " Let no man deceive vou
•• by any means ; for that day shall not come
'* except th-ere come an apostacy first, and that
*' man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition ;
'' who opposeth and exalteth himself above all
*' that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so
'' that he as God sitteth in the temple of God,
*• showing himself that he is God. Whose
*' coming is after the working of Satan, with
■' all power, and signs, and lying \vonders *."
*' Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the
'• latter times some shall depe^rt from the faith,
" giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines
*• of devils ; . . . . Forbidding to marry, and
'' commanding to abstain from meats, wliich
" God hath created to be received with thanks-
" giving t.''^
By observing this apostle's language, the R.
will perceive, that this extraordinary character
w^as to appear in the Church ; " Pie sitteth in the
" temple of God." In this point of view, then,
he
^ 2 TLcss. ii. 3. 4-9. f I Tim, iv. i. — 3.
SCRIPTURE AND TI:E FATHERS. 237
he cannot object to an application of these words
to the bishop of Rome. But St. Paul does not
refer his readers to this man of sin merely as an
individual, but a number of men actuated bv
similar views, and pursuing the same course.
What he denominates the man of sin in the
former passage, he calls in the latter, seducing
spirits, or persons whose principles inclined men
to apostatize from the faith. That this is the
meaning of the phrase " seducing spirits," is
evident from their mode of acting in the Church.
They do not operate like " the Spirit, which
" worketh in the heart of the children of diso-
" bedience;" but appear externally, are invest-
ed with authority, and establish laws : " They
' forbid to marry, and command to abstain
" from meats." Let us then observe how the
character which he has given the man of sin,
will fit the succession of bishops in the See of
Rome.
Various marks, by which he may be known, .
are mentioned in these v/ords ; " His coming,"
says this apostle, " is after the working of Sa-
*' tan, with all power." Perhaps the R. may
remember what Pope Gregory the Great has
said about the appearance of Antichrist, He
declar^ed that person his forerunner, who should
account himself universal bishop, and arrogate
a ^' power" over the whole visible Church ;
and this has been both claimed and exercised by
K 5 die
238 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the bishops of Rome. But they were far from
resting satisfied with the spiritual power. The
acquisition of that only excited their ambition
to connect it with the temporal authority ; and
the period in which their usurpations commen-
ced, had a powerful tendency to promote their
views. The greater part of Europe was im-
mersed in barbarism and superstition ; and nei-
ther the civil nor religious rights of mankind
were at all understood. Many, from mistaken
views of religion, bequeathed their wealth to
the Church ; not for the advancement of virtue
and piety, but for supporting a clergy, whose
wallowings discovered more of the nature of
the hog, than cf the Christian pastor. Even
the kings of the earth, impelled by superstition
or fear, made a surrender cf " their power and
*' strength to the beast." The purposes for
which this power was applied, have been for-
merly observed. The bishops of Rome depo-
sed kings, transferred their dominions to others,
absolved subjects from thtir oaths of allegiance,
and prohibited their obedience ; and, to crown
all, thty exercised their power for the murder
of myriads cf the human race, m.erely for re-
fu&i^g submission to doctrines repugnant to the
scriptures, and at war with both the temporal
and eternal interests of men. The apcsile Paul
had therefore good reason for announcing their
approach
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. €5.9
approach to be " after the working of Satan,
" with all power."
But the coming of the man of sin was also
to be accompanied with " signs and lying won-
'* ders." Any person who reads the legendary -
lore of the Romish Church, will readily per-
ceive to whom this prediction ought to be ap-
plied. Pretended miracles, the most absurd
and ridiculous, have been sanctioned by that
See, and palmed upon the credulous minds of
the simple, as a confirmation of these doctrines
which established its power.
The " doctrines of devils'* is another pai'ti-
cular attending the appearance of the m^an of
sin. By consulting the original text, the R,.
will see, that it is the doctrine of demons ; and,.
if he be at all acquainted with antiquity, he
must 1 now, that demons were not viewed by
the ancients as a distinct order of beings, but as
deified dead men, to whom divine honours
ought to be paid. The coming of. Antichrist,
this apostle assures us, would be attended with
a revival of this heathenish doctrine; and the
canonization of saints and martyrs constitutes
a material part of the fabric of the Romish
Church.
But when St. Paul has mentioned the conco-
mitant circum.stances which mark the appear--
ance of the man of sin, he has also delineated
h*o character : " He exalteth himself above all
K6 ''• that.
aw POPERY CONDEMNED BY
' that is called God, or that is worshipped ; so
" that he, as God, sitteth in the temple of God,
" showing himself that he is God,'' The lan-
guage and conduct of the Church of Rome will
discover how appropriate these words are to the
character of its bishops ; " The Lord our God
*' the Pope, another God upon earth," says
one ; '^ The Pope," says another, " is more
*' than God ;" and says Clement VII. himself,
" As there is but one God in the heavens, so
*' there cannot, nor ought to be of right, but
" one God upon earth."
But the bishops of Rome have not been sa-
tisfied with arrogating to themselves the titles
which are peculiar to the Deity. They have
usurped his authority, and even pretended to
render him subservient to their inclinations.
They have abrogated his laws, and commanded
things which he has expressly prohibited. I'hey
have sold indulgences for the basest crimes, li-
censed houses of debauchery in the very pre-
cincts of their palaces, pi^tended to pardon sins
authoritatively, and even claimed a controuling
power over the invisible work! : " We com-
"^ mand the angels of paradise to introduce
" that soul into heaven," said Clement VI.
concerning these persons who died on their pil-
grimage to Rome, during the year of jubilee.
Of the authority exercised by the man of sin,
this apostle has specified two particulars,. " fcr-
" bidding
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS, 244
" bidding to marry, and coramrinding to ab-
" stain from meats, which God hath created to
" be received with thanksgiving." Whether
these be applicable to the bishops of Rome, let
the R. judge. The celibacy of the clergy is
one of the principal devices for the aggrandize-
ment of that See. It has therefore been stre-
nuously enjoined as an important precept of re-
ligion ; as if the extinction of the human race
were highly gratifying to God. Nor is the
other precept of the man of sin less appropriate.
The Church of Rome, like a skilful shepherd,
has been aware how much the health of the
simple flock depends upon the nature of their
food ; and therefore she has taken their feasting
and fasting under her own direction. Bv iono-
experience she has found, that restricting them
to certain kinds of provender upon particular
days produces a vast imiprovement of both the
flesh and the wool, and fully repays for any ex-
tra labour which it occasions. Like other per-
sons occupied in the pastoral life, she is a great
observer of the influence of days upon the qua-
lities of food ; and having often seen that what
is good and nourishing to-day, will to-morrow
produce the rot and other deadly distempers,
she has commanded to abstain from meats, a-
greeably, no doubt, to the direction of scrip-
ture, " Every creature of God is good, and
** nothing to be refused,"
The
^42 POPERY CODEMNED P.Y
The R, must be surprised, that the apostle
Paul cculd describe the future state of the Ro-
mish Church with such minute precision. To
what cause can he refer his predictions, but to
inspiration by the Spirit of God ? Prophecy he
must then acknowledge to be of vast use in reli-
gion y since it enables us to conclude, both that
the Pope is Antichrist, and that the scriptures
are the word of God,
By such evidence, the scriptures discover
themselves to the rational mind, as the work of
inspiration. The faith of the Christian, how- *
ever, does not receive them upon this ground.
A rational assent to the truth of scripture may
be thus produced, but not a divine faith ; for
an assent must ahvays be of the same kind with
the principles upon which it is founded. Pro-
testants, therefore, distinguish between faith and
^ reason, and maintain, that there may be a ra-
tional persuasion of the inspiration of scripture
where divine faith is wanting. To illustrate this,
it may be observed, that faith is not merely a
belief of the inspiration of the scriptures, but an
acceptance of the doctrines which they exhibit.
Upon rational principles, a person may believe the
former, vvhile he has never viewed the latter as
adapted to his condition, or necessary to his hap-
piness. The apostle Paul has, accordingly, as-
signed this as the cause why the doctrines of re-
ligion are rejected by rational men. " The na-
** turaL
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 24:3
*^ tural man receiveth not the things of the Spi-
*' rit of God ; for they are foohshness unto him :
" neither can he know them, because they are
" spiritually discerned *.*'
But the R. must not conclude, that, because
Protestants have no infallible tradition, they can
only have a rational belief. Though rational
evidence can never be productive of divine faith,
this may flow from the impressions which the
scriptures themselves make upon the mind. The
hght and authority with which they are present-
ed to the understanding of the Christian, pro-
duce his assent to them as the testimony of God.
These accordingly are represented in scripture,
as sufficient evidences for distinguishing the di-
vine word from the language of false pretenders
to inspiration ; " How long shall this be in the
" heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea,
" they are prophets of the deceit of their own
*' hearts ; who think to cause my people to for-
" get my name by their dreams, which they tell
*' every man to his neighbour, as their fathers
" have forgotten my name for Baal. The prc-
" phet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream,;
*' and he that hath my word, let him speak my
" word faithfully : what is the chaff to the wheat ?
" saith the Lord. Is not my word like a fire ?
" saith the Lord; and like a hammer that break-
" eth the rock in pieces t ?" The R, ridicules
the
* I Cor. ii. 14. f Jer. xxlii. 26.-— 29.
t244< rOPERt COND£:\IN£D BY ^
the idea that the scriptures convey light and sen-
sations to the mind, by which they may be known
and felt to bo the word of God. Were he to
read them with a little more attention, he would
be able to trace his merriment to his own igno-
rance. In David's days, the entrance of God's
word not only gave light*, but appears to have
been attended with such peculiar sensations, as
made him account it sv/eeter than honey and the
honey-comb f* The apostle Paul also seems to
have imagined, that an exhibition of the word-
of God might be followed by such convictions
of its truth, as to produce the exercise of divine
faith : " My speech and my preaching was not
"'• with the enticing words of man's wisdom., but
" in dem.onstration cf the Spirit and of power :
" That your faith should not stand in the wis-
" dom of men, but in the pov^'cr of God t."
I am willing to grant, that the scriptures have
never as yet produced these effects upon the R.
But does he think the sun has no light, because
his usefulness does not extend to the blind ?
Eyes are as necessary as light to make objects vi-
sible. A little attention to the doctrines cf the
gospel will teach him, that an exhibition of the
truth produces faith, only where the understand-
ing is prepared to receive it. On this account,
the scriptures' inculcate the necessity of an inter-
nal change by the operation of the Spirit, who
is
* Ps3'. cxix. r3C. i P^al. xix, ic, t i Ccr. ii, 4. 5.
SCRIPTURE AND THE fatiie:;s. 245
is there denominated " the Spirit of wisdoiii and
" revelation in the knowledge of Christ." He
is also called the Spirit of faith ; and so essen-
tially requisite are his operations to produce the
exercise of this grace, " that no man can say
" that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy
" Gho?t *." In this manner, we Protestants
are brought to believe the scriptures as the word
of God.
It is some consolation to the R., if he be a
stranger to this doctrine, that his case is not
without precedent in the Church. " Art thou
" a master in Israel," said Christ to Nicodemus,
'* and knowest not these things f ?" Yet, as an
instructor of the simple faithful, he ought to ac-
quire at least a speculative knowledge of this
point ; for Christ seems to account it the only
entrance to the possession of the blessings of the
gospel : " Verily, verily, 1 say unto thee, Ex-
*' cept a man be born again, he cannot see the
" kingdom of God |."
The absurdity of the R.'s own principles upon
this subject can be very easily shewn him. '^ It
*' is only," says he, " by the infallible testimo-
*' ny of the Church that we know the Scriptures
" to be the word of God." Divine truth, he
must confess, influences very powerfully the
mind of the Christian. Let him then inform
us, whether this influence proceeds from the
truth
* 1 Cor. xii. 3. f John, iii. 10. X ^^cr. 3.
'246 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
trutlXjitself, or from the testimony of the Church.
According to his views, a P ipist must say, '' My
*' judgement is informed, and my affections ele-
^' vated, by certain doctrines ; not because they
*' tend to produce such effects, but because the
*' Church has declared them to be the word of
*' God." On the contrary, the Protestant says,
*'• The scriptures declare themselves to be the
" word of God, and represent themselves as
-*' producing these eflects upon the mind. This
*' I believe, because the clear and powerful man-
'* ner in which the truth is proposed, will not
" permit me to doubt." By this, the R. will
be helped to comprehend a particular, which
seems to have puzzled him considerably, that is,
how a person, who has never read the scriptures,
may know the truths contained in them to be
the word of God.
The R. must not consider this view of the
powerful influence of the scriptures upon the sc al
as a new doctrine in the Church. Long inex-
perience of it may have rendered it obsolete a-
mong Papists ; but our Lord and his apostles
taught it, and the primitive Christians believed
it. When Augustine was converted by reading
in the epistle to the Romans, vv'hether did l.is
faith originate in the testimony of the Church,
or in the force of truth ? Had the R. perused
the Fathers attentively, he would have seen them
strenuous supporters of this Protestant doctrine.
At
SCRIPTURE A^'D THE FATHERS. 247
At present, I will only refer him to that testi-
mony, which experience induced Justin Martyr
to give. '* The Christian doctrine," says he,
" possesses a certain innate majesty, calculated
" both to terrify and allure the sinner ; and it
" aflbrds, to those persons who have embraced
*' it, the miost delightful ease *."
The R. indeed attempts to prove, from the
v/ritings of Augustine, that the scriptures can
be known to be the word of God, only by the
testimony of the Church : " The Manicheans,"
says he, " pretended that their founder, Manes,
'* was an Apostle — 'tis true his title was as good
" as that of the Gentian Apostle. The Epistle
*' of Manes begins thus : — Manes the Apostle
*' of J, Christy by the pi'ovidence of God the Fa-
" iher. A man would be tempted to imagine
" that Luther had this epistle before him when
*'• he stiled, or rather dubbed himself, Evange-
" list at Wertemberg. lo this Austin replies
'* in his book against tiie Epistle, chap. iv. /
*' therefore ask ivho is this Manes ? you will an*
" szver the Apostle of Jesus Christ. I do not be-
'* Ueve it. Perhaps you will read the Gospel to
" me thence endeavouring to prove it. What if
*' ijou had to reason with one^ who docs not be-
*' iicve the Gospel? what would you do if such an
*■ one should say unto you^ I do not believe you?
'* this reasoning of St. Austin, whatever con-
'* tempt
* Dial, cum Trypb.
248 POPERY CONDEMNED 3Y
" tempt the Ex. or his friend Jortin, r^-.rr^ have
*' for his authority, is absolutely unai:s>- le
*' and applies with the same force to any ocaer
*' innovator as to Manes. For how \vi\\ this
" pretended reformer shew an infidel tliat he
*' ought to believe the Gospel ? he must of
" all necessity have recourse to the testimony
*' of the Church, in v/hose hands he hnds it,
" and if he deiiies the infallibility of her testi-
*' mony, he leaves no infallible authority ; on
*' which, to rest his belief of the Gospel. Hence
*' St, Austin says, in the course of his reasoning,
*' / would not believe the Gospel if the authoriiij
" of the Church did not move me thereto. Why
** should I not obey thera^ (the Bishops) saying
" to me-: do not believe Manes ^ ivhom I obeyed
" sayings believe the Gospel**"
The R. thinks the Popish mode of convin-
cing infidels much more conclusive than that
used by Protestants. Let us then compare the
tvv'o tofrether, and observe the result. If an in-
fidel inquire who was St. Paul, the Papist
would reply, an apostle of Jesus Christ. Should
this be doubted by the infidel, the Papist would
refer him to the inraihble testimony of the
Church. But what answer would the Papist
make, when the infidel disbelieved the doctrine
of infallibiHty ? He has no farther proofs by
v- ■-'' '^- could convince his disbelieving judge-
ment.
* P. 139-
SCRIPTURE AND TliE FATHERS. 249
ment. One topic, however, remains, which,
it must be confessed, possesses a powerful in-
fluence, and may produce wonderful effects.
The Church of Rome, like other great orators,
can appeal to the " feelings" of an infidel,
when conviction cannot reach his judgement.
When he disbelieves the doctrine of infallibility,
the Papists can add. The Pope and the Inquisi-
tion have provided ample store of red-hot argu-
ments, which never fail to terminate every
shadow of doubt, either by the conversion or
destruction of the unbeliever. But we Protes-
tants go to work in a very different way. When
an infidel disbelieves the inspiration of the writ-
ings of St. Paul, we refer him to the prophecies
of that apostle, and prove the Pope Antichrist,
in such a decisive manner, that he is unable to
reply.
Though St. Augustine had actually viewed
all faith as founded in the testimony of the
Church, it by no means follovs-s as a consequent,
that his sentiments are just. The nature of
truth or falsehood can never be changed by the
most extensive authoritv. But the R. has entire-
ly mistaken the scope of this Father*s reasoning.
Of this, I think, the manner of Augustine's^
conversion mig:ht have afforded him sufficient
proof. He would have acted very inconsistent-
ly indeed, had he resolved his faith into the tes-
timony of the Church, after having received
such
250 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
such a convincing proof from the scriptures
themselves. But a view pf the scope of his
reasoning uill show, that he entertained no such
sentiments. *
When the disciples of Manes began to pub-
lish his absurdities, they found themselves op-
posed by the plain testimonies of ilie scriptures.
It tlierefore became necessary for them to invalid-
date their authority ; and this they attempted, by
charging themNAvith falsification and corruption
in those places which opposed their errors, and
also by ridiculing the Church for believing
without reason ; whereas they were ready to
assign a reason for every doctrine, which they
proposed for belief*. To these charges St.
Augustine replied, '* That if such sentiments
" were allowed, the divine authority of any
" books must be entirely useless for the con-
*' demnation of errors. It would,'* says he,
" be much more consistent to reject the scrip-
*' tures entirely like the pagans, or the New
*' Testament with the Jew^s, than to acknow-
'* ledge in general the divinity of the books,
' and yet reject these passages which opposed
" their opinions. If there were any suspi-
''- cion of corruption, they ought to produce
'' m.ore ancient and truer copies than what the
" Church possessed f.'* To show the absurdi-
ty of thc^ir conduct, he proceeds to take them
upon
* Ccr,. Faust, Lib. ii. c. 2. f Id. ibid.
SCKIPTURE AND lilE FATHTRS. 251
upon their own principles ; and he begins with
the iuL-cription of tlie epistle of Manes ; " Manes,
" an apostle of Je&us Christ, by the providence
" of God the Father." Of the apostleship of
Manes, he puts them upon their proof; and
hopes they will not be angry with him, since
they then:se!vG3 hud taught him not to believe
any thing without rv^aoon. Should they refer
him to the gospel, he tells them he disbelieves
it ; and here he shews that proof fails them,
because, according to their own principles,
they had rejected authentic records as evidence,
but at (he same time, placed reason for the basis
of their belief.
St. Augustine, it is evident, is showing his
readers how the truth of any historical fact is
to be ascertained. It is by reference to some
record, whose authenticity is universally acknow-
ledged ; and upon this principle he says, " I
'' w^ould not believe the Gospel, unless the
" authority of the universal Church induced
'• me.'' The R., in quoting these words, has
omitted the word " universal," that his readers
might view the authority of the Church as the
cause of Augustine's belief. This Fstlier, how-
ever, when permitted to speak for himself, rests
his faith upon the " universality" of the testi-
mony. Having accordingly mentioned the au-
thority of the '"• universe;!'' Church as the cause
of his assenting to the authenticity of the gos-
pels,
252 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
pels, he proceeds to shew, that he ought Hke-
vnse to receive the Acts of the Apostles, " be-
*' cause," says he, " universal authority induces
" me*/'
Had the R. paid a little attention to the rea-
soning of Augustine, he would have seen, that
it is not the divinity of the doctrines of scrip-
ture which the testimony of the Church in-
duced him to beheve, but their authenticity, as
writings of the persons to Vv'hom they are a-
scribed. The faith, therefore, of which he
speaks, is not a belief which has the testimony
of God for its basis : It is an assent to truth,
founded on rational evidence ; and no Protes-
tant rejects the testimony of the Church in prov-
ing the authenticity of the books of the scrip-
tures.
Before the R. Vv^rite again upon this subject,
I would advise him to extend his acquaintance
with the scriptures. When a person designs to
write against a book, he v/ill find it of som.e Use
to have previously read it. He will by this
time perceive, that he has not such a knack at
inventing insoluble arguments, as he had flat-
tered himself. But though he has failed as yet
to destroy the authority of scripture, it is to be
hoped that he will not desist from his attempts.
The undertaking is arduous ; but its accom-
plishment w'ilh produce him great renown. He
will
* Con. Ep. Fundam. c. 5.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS, 253
will then be able to boast of having done ^hat
all the enemies of revelation before him have
been unable to effectuate."' In the mean time,
let me suggest to him, in his present disappoint-
H mcnt, a topic of consolation, which can scarce-
ly fail to soothe a serious and reflecting mind.
When he is perplexed with the crabbed and ob-
scure writings of the apostles and evangelists,
or when he is foiled in argument, let him think
on the disinterested saying of a great maker of
images, cf whom honourable mention js made
in the Acts of the Apostles, '' By this craft we
*' have our wealtli *."
II. On Tradition.
The Church of Rome is conscious, that if
many of her opinions and practices were tried
by the scriptures, they would be found incon-
sistent with the plainest principles of religion ;
and fheiefore, she has sewed certain fig- leaves
together for a covering to these things which
migh^ expose her to ohame. As she would wish
the world to believe this an old family-gar-
ment, she has dignified it with th<» name of tra-
dition ; but being aware how little men are dis-
posed to overlook a bad habit, merely on ac-
count of its antiquity, i>he has judged it requi-
site to give it anoi-lier appellation, descriptive of .
L . its
♦ Act?, xix. 25.
254? POPi'KY co>:Di:r.iN£D by
its value ; and on this account she has called it
*' the. unwritten word of God." A rejection
of any part of divine revelation being repug-
nant to both the duty and happiness of men, we
Protestants ought to possess decisive evidence of
the falsity of these claims upon which tradition
is founded, since we have with-held our assent
to this part of the Romish creed. In attaining
such proof, very little trouble is requisite. A
short view of Vi^hat the R. has advanced on this
subject wall show us, that, instead of establishing
the claims of tradition, he has merely bewilder-
ed himself in absurdity : It will discover h's de-
fence of tradition to be as inconclusive as his ob-
jections to the scriptures.
Before entering upon a discussion of this sub-
ject, it may be proper to remark, that the dif-
ference between Protestants and Papists does
not consist in the latter adhering to tradition,
and the former rejecting it entirely. The word
tradition, in its proper acceptation, signifies any
thing transmitted from one person to another ;
-and therefore, it is as applicable to the scrip-
tures, as any other part of the Romish creed.
la many parts of the writings of the Fathers,
these are accordingly called the tradition, as
the R. must have observed, if he has ever per-
used them attentively. The difference between
ii3 consists in our opposite views about an
^^ Oral" tradition, or certain verbal instructions,
which
SCRIPTURE AND Til a FATIltKS.
fo5
which Papists pretend to have received from the
apostles. These we Protestants have rejected,
for reasons which might stumble even the mind
of a Papist. But, as the value of any thing
and its usefulness are closely connected, we
may observe what the R, can advance in its be-
half.
The use of oral tradition is founded upon the
supposed insufficiency of scripture, as a rule of
faith and practice. This, according to the R.,
exhibits only a partial view of Christianity ; and
even that, in such a manner as to be of very
little use to the greater part of readers. It re-
mains, therefore, with oral tradition, to obviate
the difficulties, and elucidate the obscurities of
the scriptures ; and also to present the Church
with a view of the doctrines omieted by the in-
spired writers. " In the word of God trans-
" mitted to us,*' says the R., " we find the in-
" tended sense of obs(5ure passages ivJiich the
" unlearned and the unsettled wrest to their own
*' perdition^ as w^e learn from St. Peter speaking
" of St. Paul's epistles, in which there are some
** things difficult to be understood, — 2 Pet. iii.
" 16. Thus w^e know the manner of admini-
** string the sacramerxts ; of instituting the mi-
*' nisters of the Church ; of their ditferent or-
'* ders ; the obligation of sanctifying the first
*' day of the week Sunday, not the last Satur-
" day, as ordered in the scriptures, which orJi-
L 2 '• nance
^56 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' nance of the Old Testament is no where can-
*' celled in the New j the necessity of baptizing
*' infants ; of offering up prayers and supplica-
** lions for the repose of departed souls *."
When the R. produced this long catalogue of
traditions, he forgot to shew, that they are ac-
tually apostolic. That would have completely
terminated his contendings ; and therefore, he
has prudently declined the undertaking. A few
observations will sufFxCe to shew him, that some
of these doctrines, which he has specified as
traditions, are very perspicuously taught in the
scriptures ; while others originate merely in
Popish prostitutions of religion.
Before proceeding to a review of his asser-
tions, I would merely hint to him, that previous
to his making such a bustle about the obscurity
of scripture, he ought to have inquired more
particularly, whether that originated in the lan-
guage of inspiration, or in his own understand-
ing. He appears to be considerably a stranger
to the meaning of his ovv'n mother-tongue ; and
how can he expect to understand the language
of the i-criptures ? In the above quotation, he
considers an obscure passage, and one diflicult
to be understood, as phrases of the same im-
]..ort. A very little reflection will teach him,
that a doctrine may not be easily comprehended,
idid yet be very perspicuously proposed. Tlie
person
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 257
person who considers a matliematlcal demonstra-
tion, may at first find himself sadly puzzled ;
but when he has made himself master of the
subject, he may admire it both for acuteness of
reasoning, and perspicuity of ?trrangement ; and
studying mathematics by oral tradition, the R.
himself must confess, would be entirely a new
invention. Were the members of the Romish
Church left to their own judgement and the
scriptures, they would understand much more
of them than, would be consistent with the edifi-
cation of the clergy. But the R. and his bre-
thren, after perverting the minds of their hear-
ers, raise a clamour, " Thefe is a lion with-
" out ;" and these re-.echo, " I shall be slain
'* in the streets."
Among the obscurities of scripture which oral
tradition explains, the R. has classed " the
" manner of administring the sacraments." Of
these Protestants have nevri' been able to disco-
ver more than two in the scriptures : so that ^he
might have placed the other five among his tra-
ditionary doctrines. Eut if, from the obscurity
of some parts of scripture, we have never been
able to view these five as any thing else than Po-
pish excrescences in religion, we have generally
seen the Uiode cf administering the oilier twx^
pretty plainly taught. Nothing less than Popish
ingenuity could have discovered obscurity in the
scriptural account of the administration of bap-
L 3. tism
25S POPERY CONDEMNED BY
lism by water, in the name of the Father, of
the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. These atten-
tive observers of tradition have, however, found
out, that when this ordinance was dispensed by
the apostles, they first made the water salt, and
then greasy ; and afterwards dipped a candle in
it thiicc, and divided it into four parts. But
the peculiar excellence of tliis tradition is not
restricted to an elucidation of the mode of ad-
ministering the ordinance of baptism. It pos-
sesses infinite merit for explaining other obscure
parts of the scriptures. Thus, for example,
when the Ethiopian eunuch was converted, and
wished this privilege of the Church, " See,"
said he to Philip, " hei'e is water ; what doth
*' hinder me to be baptized * ?" Being only a
young convert, and ignorant of the forms of
religion, his language is very much calculated
to mislead the unv/ary. But luckily for the
Church, oral tradition teaches, that he meant or
ought to have said, " Here are salt, oil, candles,
" andwater^ with dishes to mix and divide them
" sacramcntally •, what doth hinder me to be
" baptized ?"
Of the manner of administering the J^ord's
supper also, the scriptures afford us a very
simple account ; " The Lord Jesus, the same
'* ni^^ht in which he was betrayed, took bread 5
*' and when he had given thanks, he brake it,
'♦ and
* Acts, viii. 56...
SCRIPTURE AND HIE FATHERS. 259
*' and said, Take, eat ; this is my body which
*' is broken for you : this do in remembrance
** of me. After the same manner also he took
*' the cnp, when he had supped, saying, This
*' cup is the new testament in my blood ; this
*' do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance
*' of me. For as often as ye eat this bread, and
*' drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death
" till he come* ;" and yet the R. places the
manner of dispensing this ordinance among his
doctrines of oral tradition. Because this ac-
count, he would say, is obscure, defective, and
radically erroneous, (the apostles not being very
desirous to let the people know too much of the
truth by their writings), we must recur to oral
tradition for a more correct statement of facts ;
and there Vv^e will learn what vestments are ne-
cessary in saying mass ; how many crosses, curt-
sies, and genuflections, the priest must make y
how the host must be elevated for the adora-
tion of the simple faithful, and how he must
give the bread to the laity, but reserve the cup
to himself; with many other particulars equally
true and savoury.
By oral tradition, according to the R., the
manner " of instituting the ministers of the
" Church and their different orders" are also
ascertained.
In the scriptures, we have a plain account of
L 4 all
* I Cor. xi. 23. — 26.
260 fOPERY CONDEMNED BY
all the Church-officers, whose authority can be
traced to divine appointment, and also of the
manner of instituting ordinary teachers and
rulers, by prayer and the imposition of hands ;
so that we consider a recurrence to tradition as
totally unnecessary. Since the R. has placed
the different orders of clergy which subsist in
the Church of Rome, and the form of their in-
stitution, among his oral traditions, let him
show, from the writings of the Fathers, that
the present orders of clergy, and the manner of
their ordination, are the same at present, as
during the three first centuries.
" In the same manner we know/' says he,
*' the obligatioii of sanctifying the first day of
'' the week Sunday, not the last Saturday, as
*' ordered in the ScrijMures, which ordinance of
*' the Old Testament is no where cancelled in
•' the New
Perhaps it never occurred to the R., that the
observation of the " seventh" day was a Jewish
peculiarity, and consequently terminated with
that dispensation. The moral obligation to ob-
serve one day in seven is taught in the fourth
precept of the decalogue. It does nor, how-
ever, follovv^, that this morality is restricted to
any particular day, except by the appointment
of God. If he, accordingly, observe the rea-
son why the " seventh" day was observed by
the Jews, he will find the obligation peculiar to
them :
SCRIPTURE AND lUli FATHERS. 2Gi
them : ^' Remember that ihou wast a servahi
'* in the lanei of Egypt, and that the Lord thy
" God brought thee out thence through a
" mighty haad and by a stretched-9Ut arm i
" therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee
" to keep the Sabbath-day *." Tho R. is mis-
taken when he says that this ordinance of the
Old Testament is no where cancelled in the
New. When the apostle Paul illustrates the
influence of the death of Christ upon the pecu-
liarities of the Jewish w^orship, he expressly
mentions the abrogation of the Sabbaiii :
*' Blotting out the hand-writing of ordinances
*' that was against us, w'hich v.'.is contrary to
"*' us, and took it out of the way nailino^ it to
*' his cross ; 'diid having spoiled principalities
*' and powers, he made a shew of them openly,
*' triumphing over them in it. hct no man,
*' therefore, judge you in meat, or in drink, or
" in respect of an holy day, or of the new
" moon, or of the " Sabbaths,'* which arc .>,
" shadow of things to come ; but the body U
" of C'hrist f ." With respect to the institution
of the lirst day of the week, both the language
and conduct of the apostles can be exhibited
as evidence of' its being appropriated to divine
worship. The scriptures assure us, that these
primitive Christians assembled on that day for
the express purpose of communicating and
L 5 other
* Deut. V. 15. f Col. ii. JJ. — 17. N
^^*^ POPERY CONDEP^NED EY
Other religious exercises * ; and to show that
they viewed it as a season devoted to rehgion,
they called it " the Lord's day f."
By oral tradition only, he farther observes,
we know " the neccvssity of baptizing infants."
The circumcision of the fore-skin of the
heart, and the washing of regeneration, he must
grant to be phrases of similar import. The
aposlle Paul accordingly teaches, that by Chris-
tian circumcision, we are to understand baptism :
*' In whom also ye are circumcised with the cir-
*' cumcision made without hands, in putting off
" the body of the sins of the flesh by the cir-
'* cumcision of Christ ; Buried with him in
" baptism J." It is, then, a conclusion tolera-
bly naturr.l, that all who had a right to circum-
cision under the Old Testament, possess the
same claim to baptism under the New 5 so that
this doctrine is more plainly taught in scripture
than he was at first aware.
The concluding article of this long catalogue
of supposititious traditions is, " offering up
*' prayers and supplications for the repose of
*' departed souls."
The R. has at last hit upon a doctrine which
no Protestant could ever find in the scriptures.
Between the two boards of the Bible, it is not
once mentioned ; and in the vast variety of
prayers recoided there, it is net to be found.
But,
* Ac.'^, \.\. 7. f ]\ V. i. ic. % Ct!. i'. i I. I :.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 263
But, what must appear no less extraordina-
ry to the R., and must convince him equal-
ly of the im perfection of the scriptures, and
the necessity of oral tradition, there is the same
silence about praying for the devil. Did it
never occur to him that neither of these were
duties of religion ? But the discussion of this
subject must be reserved till hereafter.
But the R. is not satisfied with this enumera-
tion of traditionary articles. " On oral tradi-
" tion," says he, " the divinity of J. Christ
*' was always believed and publicly professed in
*' the Church, on this principle the Arian here-
*' sy was "condemned in the great Council of
" Nice : there is no text in Scripture, hovvever
'* expressive of the divinity of J. Christ, v.'hich.
*' the Arians did not elude by ingenious and
*' artful explications ; but the public faith of
" the Church, founded on the oral tradition of
" the Apostles, was not to be evaded *."
It is a pretty curious logical deduction to sav,
because the Arians were ingenious and artful,
therefore the divinity of Christ is not plainly
taught in the scriptures. He might say, witli.
equal propriety, that truth is a nonentity, be-
cause ingenious quibblers can invent paradoxes?.
These absurdities, by Vvlnch he endeavours to
establish the doctrines of the Romish creed, dis-
cover the most palpable ignorance of the ancient
L (j sta.te
* P- 57- .
264" fOPERY CONDEMNED BY
State of the Church. Though the universal
consent of Churches might be used by the Fa-
thers as an evidence against innovations, they
were far from embracing it as the ground of
their behef. St. Cyprian will show him, how
the primitive Christians treated oral tradition :
' " Whence comes this tradition ?'* says he ;
•' does it descend from the Lord's authority ; or
" from the commands and epistles of the a-
t' pestles ? for those things are to be done which
'* are there written ;" and likewise, " If it be
*• commanded in the gospel, or in the epistles
** and acts of the apostles, then let this holy
" tradition be preserved *." St. Jerome ex-
pressly contradicts his assertion respecting the
divinity of Christ : " As we deny not," says
he, " the thin(TS which are vvritten ; so we re-
'* ject those which are not written. We believe
*' t-hat God was born of a virgin, because we
" read it ; we do not believe the marriage
*' of Mary after her delivery, because we do
" not read -it *."
As yet, the R. has exhibited no real use for
oral tradition. The scriptures completely an-
swer all the purposes to which he has applied it.
Let him recollect himself, whether there be no
other valuable use to which it has been fre-
quently appropriated in the .Church of Ron.e.
1 am loth to accuse him of giving his renders an
undigested
« * lip. 7^. 1 Adv. Ilclvld.
scriptukE and the fathers. 2G5
undigested view of the extensive utility of this
exc|llent article of Popish belief. Truth, how-
ever, obliges me to declare, that he has forgot-
ten some of the most important purposes for
which the Church of Rome has employed it.
To show him what might have been said upon
this subject, I will mention one particular which
he has entirely omitted. >
One principal design of the Romish religion
is, to abstract men from the world, or to ab-
stract the world from men ; for the R. will see,
that according to Popish practices, the result is
ultimately the same. This religion also suppo-
ses, that the rulers of the Church, being*, as
teachers of others, sufficiently mortified and
weaned from worldly vanities, must be best qua-
lified to fight against dangerous temptations j
and therefore it has transferred them to the
keeping of the wise and prudent. But as the
greater part of men are much better acquainted
with buying and selling, than simple transfer,
and withal, exceedingly averse to mtrust the
clergy with too many carnal things, oral tra-
dition has invented a most excellent expedient
for promoting this great end of Popery. It has
discovered, that some members of the Church,
by performing certain exercises which they had
no occasion to do, because the divine law would
have been satisfied without them, may become
righteous overmuch. Now oral tradition, and
even
266 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
even common sense, shows, that this surpkis of
goodness, being of no use to the owners, and
being also acquired by religion, must naturally
revert to the Church ; and, therefore, it has
enjoined the clergy to open shop, and expend
all such spare merit upon poor sinners, who
have had no leisure nor inclination to provide
themselves otherwise, in exchange for these
worldly thhigs which were hastening their ruin.
Every person must grant the excellence of the
scheme ; and besides, extensive experience can
demonstrate its usefulness. Had the R. only
adverted to the former state of the Church, he
would have seen how much the bowels of the
clergy have been refreshed and replenished by
substantial proofs of devotion, flowing entirely
from tliis source.
The R., in discussing his doctrine of oral
trad.itions, ought to have produced some proof
of the 'c'postolic origin of these taught in the
Romi.sh Church ; especially as we Protestants
have always maintained them to be merely Po-
pish inventions, hi Ci'mparing them with the
principles laid down in the writings of the a-
postles, we find ih^i most gl iring iaconsisttncy
between them. 1 hese ancioni propagators of
the Christian reli{;ion make no mention of the
celibacy of the clergy, the use oi' grease and
otht-r filth in baptism, nor th. necesbity of holy
water for sanctifying tlie Church. They never
irdorm
SCRIPTURE AND TlfE FATHERS. 267
inform their readers, that the Holy Ghost may
be purchased ; nor direct them to pay the clergy
for pardons, indulgences, and the extra merit
of the saints. Their works exhibit no marks of
veneration for relics. They reveal no purgato-
ry, nor enjoin prayers for the dead ; nor do
they command the worship of saints and images :
and yet all these are doctrines of the Romish
Church. Besides, a view^ of ecclesiastical histo-
ry shows us, that these corruptions of religion
originated in the vices of the clergy. Having
contracted a stronger relish for sensual gratifica-
tions than the refinements of religion, they gra-
dually invented such baits for rendering the su-
perstitious and credulous subservient to their
views. The R. indeed refers his readers to the
infallibility of the Church, as a v^uliicient proof
of the truth of tradition ; but this doctrine also
remains- UD proven ; and therefore it can be of
no use in the case before us. The faith of the
Church of Rome, [hen, rests upon a very cu-
rious foundation. A Papist who is asked about
the ground of his belief, can only reply,
*'• There is an oral tradition in the Church, that
" thj apostles left certain oral traditions ; and
*' there iS also an oral tradition in the Ciiurch,
*' that these oral traditions are the very oral tra-
*' diiious now taught by the clergy. '*
Bui, though nil the infaUibility for which the
R. contends be admitted, there sail remains a
difficulty
26S rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
difficulty which he ought to obviate. Can the
doctrine of infallibility reconcile contradictions ?
Plow does he account for the opposition which
subsists between scripture and the present oral
traditions of the Romish Church ? The scrip-
tures say, that a bishop must be the husband of
one wife, the Church of Rom^e has declared
the marriage of the clergy unlawful : the former
gives the cup to the laity, the latter with-holds
it : in the scripture the worship of images is for-
bidden, but in the Romish Church idolatry is
a truth of the Catholic faith- Many other in-
stances of a similar kind might be adduced, if
necessary. Whether does the R. think, that
such contradictions originated with the apostles
or the Church ? Did the former preach one
doctrine, and write another ? or does the
Church teach for doctrines the commandments
of men ?
After obviating these objections, let him,
upon the principle of infallibility, account for
the variation of the traditions of one age from
these of another. The Church of Rome, du-
ring the first ages, did not receive the epistle to
the Hebrews j but tradition afterwards varied,
and it was admitted into the canon of scripture.
After fifteen centuries had elapsed, the Council
of Trent found tradition erroneous in rejecting
certain books as apocryphal, and therefore re-
ceived them as writings of inspiration. In the
primitive
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 269
primitive ages, the clergy were permitted to fol-
low apostolic direction and example in the ar-
ticle of marriage ; what became afterward the
doctrine of the Church, the R. knows. For-
merly, the necessity for infants partaking of the
Lord's supper was taught by the Church of
Rome ; now all the asserters of this doctrine
are declared accursed. When he has given a
satisfactory account of- these contradictions, it
will not be difficult to provide him with a fresh
supply.
Though the R. has carefully avoided these
troublesome particulars, he has attempted to
produce both precept and example for his tradi-
tionai-y mode of teaching Christianity. " The
" intelligent reader/' says he, " need not be
" informed, that the book of Genesis v/as writ-
'• ten bv Moses one of Abraham's descendents,
" some 400 years after the death of that pa-
" triarch in vvhose'tlme we know of no Scrip-
'' ture ; and all who believed in God, and ser-
" ved him, must have founded their faith and
" practice on the unwritten word of God, v/hat
" we call oral tradition *."
When he was giving this view of the founda-
tion of the i'Axki and praciice of these patriarchs,
he has overlooked one particular, to which, for
the sake of his intelligent readers, he ought to
have adverted. If these ancient believers had no
scriptures
* P. 106.
270 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
scriptures to direct ih-rri^ they ^.-eceivcd from God
repeated intimations of jiis will, b; which the
truths of religion were uufolcied to them, and
freed from that rust in which" traditionary ar-
ticles of antiquity are frequently involved. Be-
fore the R., therefore, can exemplify the p^/esent
state of the Romish Church by the situation of
these patriarchs, he must produce a regular se-
ries of revelations from God, by which her oral
traditions have been preserved in purity. If he
wish to fmd a parallel case, he must n cur to the
state of the Jews in the days of our Saviour. At
that period, like the Romish Church, they had
both scripture and a long*catalogue of traditio-
nary doctrines. How far the parallel between
them runs, he may learn from the words of
Christ : " Ye have made the commandment of
" God of none effect by your tradition *."
A similar reply may be given to the example
which he has produced from the New Testa-
ment. It is true, as he affirms, that the gospel
was preached in the Church before the New Tes-
tament was v/ritten. But it was preached by
men possessing the extraordinary gifts of the
Spirit of God, which, he must confess, consti-
tuted an excellent antidote against the introduc-
tion of error by such a mode of teaching. Should
he produce here his plea of infallibility in behalf
of the Church of Rome and her traditions, he
has
* Matth. XV. 6.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 271
has only to recollect, that he has not yet proven
its existence ; for God has n;)t borne her wit-
ness, as he did the apostles, " with siv^iis and
*' wonders, and with diverse miracles, and gifts
*' of the Holy Ghost *.''
In behalf of oral tradition, the R. likewise at-
tempts to produce precept from the scriptures.
" Why does the Apostle,'* says he, " strictly
*' command the Thessalonians to hold fast the
" oral traditions, which they had received from
" him : Wherefore brethren^ stand and holdfast,
" the traditions^ %vhich you ha^ve been taught^ whe^
*' ther by word or hij our Epistle. 2. Tfiess. ii. 15.
" The Apostle not only thought but taught ex-
*' pressly that the Scriptures were not suflicient,
" when he ordered them to hold fast what they
*' had learnt by oral tradition as well as what
" they had read in the Scriptures f."
Will the R. specify the traditions delivered
orally to the Thessalonians, that Protestants may
dutifully receive them ? Though the apostle Paul
enjoined the former to receive his tradinons, the
R. must not from this deduce the duty of the
latter to submit co these of the Romish Church.
It will be necessary U)Y him previously to show,
that the Church of Rome is equally quahfied to
deliver the doctrines of religion orally, and can
prove, in the same manner, (by the performance
of miracles), that her oral traditions are sanc-
tioned
* Feb. ii. -> f V.QS,
272 POPF.RY CONDEMNED BY
tioned by God. Does he think it conclusive
reasoning to say. Because this apostle delivered
traditions, and the Romish Chxirch have tradi-
tions, therefore, they are exactly the same. He
might affirm with equal propriety, that because
Protestants and Papists both profess religion,
their sentiments and practices are similar ; or be-
cause all men worship, there is no difference a-
mong them, though one worship God, and an-
other the devil. '
From the wofds of this apostle it may be in-
ferred, that he both preached the gospel and
wrote to the Thessalonians, and likewise, that
his serpions and epistles were equally binding ;
but how the R. draws from them, that he preach-
ed one doctrhie and wrote another, it w^ould be
difficult to discover. He ought also to have re-
collected the Protestant doctrine, that some pre-
cepts of scripture, from their very nature, are ob-
ligatory only upon these persons to whom they
were at first addressed ; while others extend to
the Church hi all aws. The Thessalonians were
o
certainly obligated to hold fast what the apostle
Paul had taught them orally, because his lan-
guage was dictated by the Spirit of God. But
the Church is no more bound to receive their
traditions, than to bring Paul's cloak from Troas,
or Zenas the lawyer and i^ polios on their jour-
ney.
Before leaving this subject, let me compli-
ment
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHliRS. 273
ment the R. upon his critical ingenuity, in dis-
covering the true sense of obscure words in the
scriptures. When the apostle Jude exhorted the
Church " to contend earnestly for the faith,
*' which was once delivered unto the saints *,'^
Protestants imagined a suitable appearance in be-
half of the doctrines of the scriptures sufficient ;
but the R. has discovered, that the Greek word,
which we translate delivered, possesses a very
different meaning. " The Greek terms/' says
he, " signify the faith once delivered by oral tra-
" dition to the saints f."*' The excellence of
this critical observation consists, not merely in
its ascertaining the meaning of the apostle Jude,
but in its elucidating many obscure passages of
scripture, in which the same Greek word occurs.
For the reader's conviction, a few examples may
be produced.
Mk. xvii. 22. — The Son of man shall be de-
livered into the hands oT men by oral tradition.
John vii. 64. — Jesus knew from the beginning
who should deliver him by oral tradition.
John xiii. 2. — The devil put it into the heart
of Judas Iscarlot, Simon's son, to deliver him
bv oral tradition.
The R. has certainly great merit in discover-
ing the devil to be the father of oral tradition,
and Judas a type of the Romish Church. V^Jq
Protcsiants have never entertained a very high
opinion
* Vcr. 2. f V. 37.
2*74) POPERY CONDEMNED BY
opinion of the religion of the devil, and there-
fore v/e have rejected this part of the Romish
creed.
Had the R. taken an unprejudised view of the
state of the Church of Rome, he would not have
defended her oral traditions so keenly. They
have been foisted into religion, merely to sup-
port a system of principles repugnant to both
scripture and reason. A view of ecclesiastical
history would have also shewn him, that the
Fathers, the canon-law, and even the most ju-
dicious divines among Papists, have rested the
faith of the Church upon scripture, to the utter
reiection of all oral traditions.
" Because this has no authority from the
*' scriptures," says Jerome, " it is as easily con-
" demned as produced *."
" We have received," says Ireneus, " a know-
*' ledge of the plan of our salvation, from these
" persons who first preached it, and afterwards,
*' by the comm^and of God, delivered it in the
" scriptures, that they might be the foundation
" and pillar of our faith f.''
*' In the plain places of scriptures," says Au-
gustine, " are found all those things which re-
*• spect faith or practice J."
If the R. next turn his attention to the canon-
law, he v/ill find it a strenuous supporter of
Protestant
* Com. in Mat-, c. 23. \ Lib. 3. c. i,
X De Dcct. Ciris!. Lib. 2. c. 9.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. "275
Protestant principles. " If any one command
*' what God has forbidden, or forbid what God
*' has commanded, he is to be accursed of all
*' that love God ; And, if he require any thing,
" beside the will of God, or. what God has evi-
" dently required in scripture, he is to be con-
*' sidered as a false witness of God and a sacri-
*' legions person *,"
Were it requisite, a multitude of quotations
to the same purpose might also be produced from
the most celebrated divines of the Romish Chufch.
At present, I will refer the R. only to two ; as-
suring him at the same time, that many more
await him, should he question the sufficiency of
these.
'• Let no one dare,'' says Gerson, " to speak
" any thing concerning religion, but what is de-
*' livered to us in the scriptures ; because these
*' have been delivered to us as a sufficient and
" infallible rule for the whole Church, to the
*' end of time ; and whatever doctrine is not
*' conformable to them, is to be rejected as ei-
*' ther heretical, suspicious, or impertinent to
*' religion f."
" Those things," says Aquinas, " which de-
*' pond on the will of God, can be known to us
** in no other way than as they are delivered in
" the
* Cr.us. II. q. 3, c. lor. f Exam. Dcct. p. 2.
ccnsid. I.
276 POPERY CONDEMNED BY '
** the scriptures ; for it is by them that we are
** made acquainted with the divine will *.*'
Though the R/s sentiments appear at first
view to oppose these authorities, they coincide
more exactly than an unwary reader may be
apt to suspect. By exercising his critical talents,
he has traced oral tradition to a very diabolical
source. He has shewn, by plain scriptural evi-
dence, that the devil put it into the heart of Ju-
das Iscarict ; and therefore, since it can have
nothing in common with scripture, he should be
v/illine to return it to the father of Hes. " De-
" livering Christ by oral tradiiion" has never
been attended with much satisfaction to any per-
son Vv^ho has attemipted it. Judas, the great pre-
decessor of the Romish Church, repented very
severely ; and the experience of such an emi-
nent doctor should have its own weight with the
R. Teachers of oral tradition may for some
time thrive by their trade, and be able, like Ju-
das, to purchase a field with their earnings f ;
but this doctrine, we are asvsured in scripture, is
always tending .to the place from which it at first
proceeded : ''^ For this cause, God shall send
" them strong delusion, that they should believe
^^ a lie ; That they all might be damned, who
" believed not the truth, but had pleasure in
" unrighteousness |,"
CHAR
* 3. Q^ I. a. 3. ii' C. f Acts, 1. 18.
. t 2 Thess, i . 11. 12.
( 277 )
CHAP. VII.
AN EXAMINATION OF THE POPISH VIEWS OF
THE lord's supper.
Among the various means which Christ has ap-
pointed for promoting the great ends of religion,
is the sacrament of the Supper. Sensible of the
wants of his people, and how much they need
the comforts of a father's house, he has esta-
blished this ordinance, that he might afford them
an earnest of the consolations of mercy, and ele-
vate their expectations to that fulness of joy
which is in the presence of God. In the Chris-
tian Church there has accordingly subsisted a
general persuasion of its utility ; and upon the
ground of his authority it continues to be dis-
pensed. But though there has been a general
coincidence of sentiment respecting its usefulness
and the warrant to dispense it, the most contra-
dictory views have been taken of its nature, and
of the uses to which it ought to be applied,
Upon these points the Romish Church has main-
tained the most extravagant notions, as well as
employed the institution itself for the basest and
most unscriptural purposes. As the R. has ap-
peared in defence of her vievrs and conduct, it
M will
2TS POPEKY CONDEMNED EY
will be requisite to afford his assertions a short
examination.
Of the institution of the Lord's Supper, we
have an account in the first epistle to the Co-
rinthians : " The Lord Jesus, the same night
" in which he was betrayed, took bread ; And
" when he had given thanks, he brake it, and
'• said. Take, eat ; this is my body, which is
" broken for you ; this do in remembrance of
" me. After the same manner also he took the
" cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup
" is the new testament in my blood : this do ye,
'* as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
*• For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink
*' this cup, ye do shev^ the Lord's death till he
*' come *."
From these words it appears, that the dispen-
sation of this ordinance is attended with a conse-
cration of the elements. This, according to Pa-
pists, occurs, when the priest uses the words of
Christ, " this is my body, this is my blood.'*
Their opinion, however, is repugnant to both
scripture and antiquity. The Lord's Supper is
dispensed to the Church in the form of a com-
mon repast, w^hich, according to the appoint-
ment of God and the practice of good men, is
set apart for the support of the body by an ad-
dress to the Father of mercies : " Every crea-
" ture of God is good, and nothing to be refu-
*' scd,
* 1 Cor. xi. 2^, — 26.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 279
•* sed, if it be received with thanksgiving : For
*' it is sanctified by the word of God and
" prayer." The word of God authorises the
use of it ; and it is consecrated or set apart by
prayer and thanksgiving. In the same manner,
St. Jerome informs us, consecration takes place
in the Lord's supper : " Upon the prayer of the
*' presbyters," says he, '« the body and blood
*' of Christ is made *."
The Popish view of the consecration of the
elements is intended as a preparatory introduc-
tion to the grand doctrine of transubstantiation,
which the Romish Church has grafted upon the
plain and simple ordinance of the Supper. This
the Council of Trent have defined to be, " a
*' wonderful conversion of the w^hole substance
" of the bread in this holy sacrament into the
" whole substance of the body of Christ, and of
" the whole substance of the wine into his blood,
" the species or accidents of the wine onlv re-
" maining f :" And this the Roman Catechism
aiHrms to be the very same body which was born
of the virgin, and now sits in heaven at the right
hand of the Father J. A similar view of tran-
substantiation is given by the R. : '* In the pub-
** lie sacrifice of the mass," says he, " J. Christ
*' was believed to be really present, and offered
'* up to his eternal father under the appearance
M2 -of
* Ep. 85. ad Evagr. f Sess. 13. c. 4. & Can. 2.
t Cat. ad. Par. p. 2.
280 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
** of bread and wine— *." Religion has been
generally supposed to contain doctrines above the
comprehension of reason ; but the Romish
Church has the merit of discovering, that these
mav contradict each other, without a deviation
from truth.
Before proceeding to an examination of the
R.'s sentiments, it may be proper to observe,
that the dispute between Protestants and Papists
is not, whether Christ be absent or present in
the ordinance of the Supper. We Protestarits
have always acknowledged his presence in the
cucharist, though we have not been able to be-
lieve that the eucharist is Christ. We are per-
suaded, that, like the first communicants at the
Lord's table, all succeeding disciples, believing
the promises of the gospel, enjoy intercourse
with him, and partake of his beneficence in this
ordinance * " The cup of blessing wiiich we
" bless, is it not the communion of the blood of
" Christ ? the bread which we br^eak, is it not
" the coitimunion of the body of Christ f?"
The presence of Christ we do not, however,
view as at all peculiar to this institution. Where-
over tlie ordinances of religion are dispensed, and
its services performed according to divine ap-
pointment, he has pledged his presence and his
blessiiv'- : " In all places where I record my
'' name,
* F. 5S. \ 1 Cor. X. j6.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 281
" name, I will come unto thee, and I will bless
'' thee*."
But Papists have not been satisfied with the
presence of Christ in the eucharist. To meet
their views, he must not only be present, but
formed out of bread and wine by the consecra-
tion of a priest. No sooner does'the priest pro-
nounce certain words, than the nature of these
elements is changed, and they become that very
body which was born of the virgin Mary : And
what is no less extraordinary, this change is en-
tirely dependent on the priest's intention. Though
he repeat the words of consecration a thousand
times, if he do not wish to bestow Christ's body
and blood upon the members of the Church,
they can only receive bread and wine, and must
remain unconscious of the wickedness of their
clergyman and their want of Christ, till puro-a-
tory or hell make them feel the imposition.
The Council of Trent have, with great pro-
priety, declared transubstantiation to be a " won-
" derful" conversion. It never fails to beget
admiration in Protestants, as well as Papists.
li we cannot admire the conversion, we wonder
most an^ply at the amazing credulity of Papists
in believing it. For this we have been branded
with the name of heretics, an epithet whicii
stinks like carrion in the nostrils of the simple
faithful J and, by a natural association of idea?,
M 3 reminds
* Excd. xx. 24.
282 POPERY COKDEMNED BY
reminds them of the necessity of very " forcible'*
arguments for removing incredulity. Such a
mode of reasoning, I am afraid, would hurt cur
feelings ; for though we be much addicted to
argumentation, we are far from being attached
to that species of it which is most frequently
used by the Romish Church, and which logi-
cians have learnedly denominated " argumentum
*• ad hominem." Besides, we are not obstinate
heretics : If the R. would solve our doubts, by
directing his arguments to our understanding,
it would serve the same purpose, and perhaps
prepare the way for our return into the bosom
of the Church. To afford him an opportunity
of shewing his zeal for the instruction of disbe-
lieving Protestants, I will mention a few of those
reasons which have induced us to reject transub-
stantiation ; and when these are answered, a
more comprehensive view of the subject may be
taken.
According to the R., there remains only the
appearance of bread and wine in the eucharist,
but the real substance is the body and blood
of Christ, and therefore, we are not to consi-
der the eye as a pi*r)per judge in this part of
religion. I perfectly agree with him, that
we are apt to be deceived by appearances ; and
that trusting to the eye-sight in religion may be
attended with dangerous consequences. But
perhaps some of the other senses may be more
useful
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 283
useful for affording us a knowledge of the truth.
When a person questions the correctness of his
eye, he naturally attempts to feel the object
which has engaged his attention. If that do
not satisfy him, he may apply it to his nose ;
and if he have much curiosity, he may even put
it in his mouth. Will the R., then, inform us,
if what has the appearance of bread and wine
possess either the taste, smell, or feeling of flesh
and blood ? But probably he reckons these a-
mong the deceitful appearances which objects
may assume. The learned Fathers of the-
Council of Trent tell us as much, when they
affirm, that the species or accidents of the bread
and wine remain ; that is, there is no change in
these qualities, by which one object is distin-
guished from another. This is in other words
to say, that the bread and wine remain ; for the
existence of matter in any particular form de-
pends entirely on its combination with certain
accidents or qualities. Let the R. conceive to
hin^.self, what bread or wine would be, were
they deprived of the qualities on account of
which they receive these appellations. On both
sides the argument is against him. If he say,
that these elements are no longer bread and
wine, how do they possess all the qualities which
distinguish these from every other object in na-
ture ? If he say that they ai'e flesh and blood,
M 4 how
-^ POPERY CONDEMNED BY
how are they destitute of those qualities which
constitute their distinguishing characteristic ?
But another difficuhy no less puzzlinn- re-
mains to be solved. How does the R. suppose
the existence of accidents or qualities without a
subject ? Can he conceive the existence of co-
lour?, unconnected with matter ? or a taste and
smell, without any object to be tasted and smelt ?
And yet the Romish Church maintains the ex-
istence of qualities, w-hen the subject with
which they were connected no longer remains.
As a reply to these objections, the R. may
fefer us to the duty of believing, and say, be-
cause religion inculcates this doctrine, we ought
not to pei'mit philosophical distinctions to pervert
our minds. Let him then inform us, how reli-
gion can be established on the destruction of
reason. If he has ever reflected on the grand
purposes for which the former is designed, he
must have se^n, that one of these is to repair •
the ravages of sin, by restoring to man the right
use of his intellectual faculties. Can religion,
then, erijoin any thing diametrically opposite to
'the plainest dictates of reason ? As long as rea-
son, faugh t by experience, says, this is bread
and wine, faith will never be able to make it
ilcsh and blood.
Averse as Papists are to rational distinctions in
religion, they v/ere very much used by these
i'V.thers, of whom they pretend to be conscien-
tious
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. iJ85
tious followers. By looking iato the writings
of a few of them, the R. will see whether Pro-
testants or Papists teach the doctrine of the pri-
mitive Church.
^^ We cannot,'' says Ireneus, " understand
" water without moisture, nor fire wi hout heat,
'* nor a stone without hardness ; for these are
" so united, that they mus.t always co-exist *•"
*' If you distinguish figure from body," says
Basil, " you act contrary to nature ; for the
" one must always he understood in connection
*' with the other t.'"
" It is monstrous," says Augustine, *' and
" notoriously false, to say, that what would not
'' exist at all, unless it were in a subject, should
" be able to exist when the subject ceases to
*' be I ;" and likewise, " When the subject is
" changed, every thing in it is necessarily ch^n-
If the R. apply these observations of the Fa-
thers to the eucharist, he must either grant that
the bread and wine remain, or totally reject the
testimony of his senses, and say, that these ele-
ments have neither the form, taste, nor smell
of bread and wine, but all the qualides wdiicii
belong to flesh and blood.
But, though he may be willing to bid adieu
to his senses, he ought to retai;i a little respect
M 5 for
* Lib. 2. c. I.';. f Ep. 43. X Solilcq. Lib. 2.
c, 12. II Le ImiT.oital. Animr c. _:.
286 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
for the language of the scriptures. Obscure
and crabbed as they are, they exhibit some
truths with tolerable perspicuity. Among others,
they teach us to reject the doctrine of transub-
stantiation ; they instruct us to call the bread
and wine, even after consecration, by their for-
mer names : "As often as ye eat this b ready
" and drink this cup^ ye do shew the Lord's
•' death till he come."
Perhaps a recurrence to the original institu-
tion of the Supper may have a farther tendency
to elucidate this subject. The first dispensation
of this ordinance was by Christ himself, who
then said to his disciples, *' Take, eat ; this is
**- my body.'* Now, though we can easily con-
ceive how he could give them bread and wine,
it must require extraordinary exertions of mind
to believe, that the very body born of the virgin
Mary held itself in its own hand, and gave it-
self out of its own hand. The disciples would,
without doubt, be astonished, when Christ's
body became invisible, by passing into the ele-
ments ; nor would their surprise be diminished,
when they were addressed by him under the ap-
pearance of bread and wine.
But, if Christ was eaten and digested by these
primitive commiunicants, let the R. inform us,
with what body he was afterward crucified.
The dissolution of a bodv, and its non-existence
as a body, are synonymous expressions. There
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 287
was, therefore, some reason in the reply ol a
young son of the Church, who was asked, after
he had been at mass, how many Gods there
were ? None, says he, for there was but one
yesterday, and I ate him.
But, granting that the bread and wine became
Christ at the institution of the last Supper, it is
difficult to comprehend how this can again oc-
cur in the Christian Church. According to the
scriptures, our Lord has ascended bodily into
heaven, and will remain there " till the times
" of the restitution of all things *.'* Will the
R. show the consistency of this account with
transubstantiation ? Pure and holy as he exhibits
the Romish Church, her mode of treating he-
retics discovers her to be still the Church mili-
tant. Upon what principle, then, does she
claim the bodily presence of Christ ?
As the Church of Rome has left reason and
common sense behind her upon this subject, the
R. may probably reply, that a body can be in.
different places at the same time. Will he,,
then, inform us, if he can prove his assertion
by experience, by scripture, or by any other-
body in the universe ? As it must please him ex-
ceedingly to observe Protestants quoting the Fa-
thers, I will show him how Augustine has illus-
trated this point. " Christ,*' says he, " having;
" said thus, ascended immediately into heaven ;
M 6 *' and
* Acts, Hi. 21.
7r
28o POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" and would precaution us against those who,
'' as he foretold, should arise in succeeding ages,
" and say, Lo, here is Christy or lo^ there ;
■' whom he warned us net to believe. Nor can
" we have any excuse, if we believe them, con^
" trary to the voice of our pastor, so clear,
'' open, and manifest * :" And also, '^ Christ,
" in his bodily presence, cannot be in the sun,
" in the moon, and on the cross, at the same
" timet.'* If this Father does not call transub-
stantiation an absurdity, he gives pretty broad
hints of it.
But, supposing it possible that the body of
Christ could exist in different places at onqe,
how does the R. account for its being contained
in so small a space as the least particle of the
sacramental wafer ? Nazianzen, with great pro-
priety, observes, that a vessel which is filled
with one measure, can never contain two.
When the R. gives implicit belief to this part
of Popish doctrine, he ought to take into consi-
deration the words of Fulgentius : '' Every
" thing remains as it has received its existence
'* from God \ one in this manner, and another
" in that ; for it is not given to bodies to exist
'* in the same manner as spirits j;."
But, overlooking this point entirely, there
remains- another difficulty which he ought to
obviate.
* De Unit. Eccles. c. lo. f Cont. Faust. Lib. 20.
c. II, :j: De Fid. ad Petr. c. 3.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 2S9
obviate. Though the nature of the bread and
wine be changr^d, the Church of Rome acknow-
ledges no alteration in the body of Christ, This
we Protestants have always believed to bear
some resemblance to the bodies of other men :
" Handle me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh
*' and bones as ye see me have *." Did the R.
ever fmd any of these in the eucharist ? Some
have been known to find farthings among Po-
pish wafers, and some poison ; if the R. have
any thing else to show, he can produce his
proof.
From all such objections the R. attempts to
shelter himself in universal and uninterrupted
tradition : " The universal practise of all Chris-
•' tian Churches in all ages invariably the same
" before the reformation, shews the sense in
j' which the Apostles understood the words of
" institution, and the sense in which they taught
" them, that is, the plain, obvious, and literal
" sense, as they were always understood in the
*' Christian Church f/' In proof of this uni-
versality, he has produced the sentiments of the
Council of Lateran in 1215. If he think it any
advantage to his cause, I will admit transubstan-
tiation to have been then the general doctrine of
the Romish Church. Pope Gregory the Great
had long before announced the approach of An-
tichrist j so that we might naturally expect,
about
* Luke, xxlv. 39. f P. 59.
290 POFERY CONDEMNED EY
about this time, to find such doctrines flourish-
ing. The R.'s other testimonies, however, will
not be so readily received.
His next proof is from the acts of the first
Council of Nice ; " Here in the divine table
* let us not be abjectly intent on the bread and
' cup exposed to view: but elevating our
' minds by faith let us understand that the
' Lamb of God, who taketh away the sins of
' the world, is placed on the sacred table ; that
' he is, in an unbloody manner, sacrificed by
* the Priests ; and that we truly receiving his
' precious body and blood believe them to be
' the symbols of our resurrection ; for this we
* don't receive much but little, that we may
' know that they are not received to satiety, but
' to sanctification *."
'i he R. must have been sadly puzzled to find
proof for transubstantiation, when he rests it on
these words. When these Fathers said, " Let
" us not be abjectly intent on the bread and cup
*' exposed to view," they seem to have imagined
that something more than the bare appearance
of these elements remain. In order to have dis-
covered due orthodoxy, they ought to have said,
Let us not be abjectly intent on the appearance
of bread and wine exposed to public adora-
tion.
In the opinion of these Fathers, faith also is
requisite
* P. So.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 291
requisite in communicating. Now Papists main-
^ tain, that Christ's boc>y and blood are present in
the eucharist, not by faith as a mean, but by
the consecration of a priest ; so that, in com-
municating, persons with or without faith are
on a level. Can the R. then show us the use
of faith for receiving a corporeal object ? Au-
gustine assures us, that the corporeal presence
of Christ is utterly incompatible with the exer-
cise of believing ; " Christ," says he, " is al-
*' ways with us by his divinity ; but, unless he
" were corporeally absent from us, we should
" always carnally see his body, and should
'* never spiritually believe *." " Therefore,"
says he in another place, " our Lord absented
" himself from every Church, and ascended
" into heaven, that our feuth may be edified ;
** for, if thou know nothing but what thou
*'• seest, where is thy faith t ?" Should the R.
say, that the faith of a communicant is exercised
in believing the elements no longer bread and
wine, but the body and blood of Christ, he
must believe without either testimony or evi-
dence. For when these Fathers said, " The
• *• Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of
" the world is placed upon the sacred table,"
they forgot to add, " corporeally." But St,
Ambrose goes farther, he affirms that they must
believe a falsehood ; for, says he, addressing
the
* De Verb. Doai. Ssrm. 60. f De Tentip. Serm. i.^c^
292 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the Saviour, " Ascend, that we may follow
'' thee with our minds, whom we cannot see
" v.ith our eyes. St. Paul has taught us how
'• we should follow thee, and where we may
*• find thee ; Seek those things which are aboi-e,
" vjhere Christ sitieth at the right hand of God,
" Therefore, we ought not to seek thee upon
'" the earth, nor in the earth, nor according to
" the ficsh^ if we would find thee *." This
Father likewise cr.Us the sacrament of the Sup-
per au unbloody sacriiice. If, then, Christ's
body be broken, and his blood poured out in
the eucharisr, let the R. explain how it receives
this appellation.
His last proof of transubstantiation is from
the acts of the passion of St. Andrew. '' And
*' what,'' says he, '' does this Ex. think of the
*' testimony of the disciples of the great St. An-
'* drew, who wrote the acts of his martyrdom
" at which they were present ? they tell us that
*' the Apostle ordered by the Pro-consul j311geas
*' to sacrifice to the Gods, replied, / sacrifice
" everij daij the irnmacidaie Lamb to the Almightij
" God .... Who tho' truly sacrificed and his
*'' jlesh truly eaten by the people^ perseveres entire.
" When the Pro-consul desirous of knowing
*' how 'twas possible that the Lamb could be
" eaten and yet remain living and entire, thrcat-
*' ened to force the Apostle to explain to him
" this
* Ccnirr.en*. In Luc, 24.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 293
" this mystery of religion, St. Andrew replied
*• tliat Uwas not -possible to come to a knowledge of
'" this mystery ivithout faith in Christ. If the
" bread and wine, as innovators pretend, had
*' been simply received in commemoration of
* the death of Christ, there was nothing more
" easy than to tell him, that 'twas not the Lamb
" itself that was eaten but the figm'e of the Lamb,
" which any man possessed of common sense
" would have understood on the exposition.
" The authenticity of this testimony has never
*' been disputed, nor has the writer ever heard
*' of any attempt made by innovators to elude
" the force of it. This is a specimen of that
*' tradition by which Catholics evince the truth
" of their doctrine *."
If the stock be like the sample. Papists have
very little reason indeed to boast of the founda-
tion of their faith. The R/s invincible argu-
ment consists entirely in his own ignorance,
when he says, " The authority of this testim.ony
" has never been disputed. '* Protestants have
no need to elude the force of an argument
which has been given up by the most learned
Popish doctors. To teach him the propriety of
reading a little when he engages in controversy,
I will introduce him to a Popish writer, w/iose
works have received the approbation of the doc-
tors of the Sorbonne, and of the doctors of di-
vinity
* P. 80. Sr.
294? POPERY CONDEMNED BY
vinity of the Faculty of Paris. '' Men are di-
'• vided in their censures upon the Acts of the
'' Passion of St. Andrew, written by the priests
*' of Achaia, which are inserted in the History
*• of the Saints, published by Surius. Baro-
'* nius, Bellarmine, and some other critics of
*' the Church of Rome, admit them as authen-
" tic ; but they are rejected by many. The an-
"" cient ecclesiastical writers knew no other re-
*' cords of St. Andrew, than these that were
*' corrupted by the Manicheans, mentioned by
*' St. Augustine, Phiiastrius, and Pope Inno-
" cent ; and which are reckoned by Pope Gela-
'* sius among the number of apocryphal books.
" But it is certain, that these were different
" from them of whicli we are speaking. It is
'* also evident, that the last Acts of the Passion
" of St. Andrew have been cited by none but
" authors who lived since the seventh or eighth
*' century, as by Remigius Altissiodorensis, Pe-
" trus Damianus, Lanfrank, St. Bernard, and
*' Ivo Carnutensis ; which is the reason why we
*' have no assurance of their being very ancient.
" The mystery of the Trinity is. not only ex-
" plained in these, after such a manner as gives
" us reason to suspect, that he who wrote them
" lived after the Council of Nice j but they
" contain also the error of the modern Greeks,
*' in affirming that the Holy Ghost proceeds
" from the Father, and remains in the Son. It
" is
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 295
" is indeed objected, that there are manuscripts
*' in which these words are not expressed ; but
'* who knows whether they have not been omit-
" ted in some, rather than inserted in others.
*' Therefore, this history ought at least to be es-
'* teemed a dubious writing, which cannot be ap^
" plied ^ as St. Jerome declares^ to prove any doc-
*' trine of faith *." And what does the R.
himself now think of the testimony of the dis-
ciples of the great St. Andrew ? " This is a
*' specimen of that tradition by which Catholics
" evince the truth of their doctrine."
Had the R. taken an impartial view of the
writings of the Fathers, he would have learnt,
that tradition, as well as scripture, opposes the
Popish notion of transubstantiation. These an-
cient writers, it will be granted, have frequently
called the bread and wine the body and blood
of Christ ; and in doing so, they are authorised
by the expressions of scripture. But it is evi-
dent from their writings, that they never suppo-
sed any change in these elements. On the con-
trary, they represent the Lord's Supper merely
as a symbolical mode of exhibiting truth to the
mind, which, by divine appointm.ent, is connect-
ed with the presence of Christ in the power of
his Spirit. Ihey accordingly considered bap-
tism as an ordinance of the same kind, and
equally connected with the presence of Christ ;
as
* Du Pin Hist. Eccles. Toi-ne i. p. 42.
296 POPERY CONDEMNED BY'
as the R. may observe by the following quota-
tions.
'' O Christ/' says St. Ambrose, " we find
*' thee in thy sacraments *»'*
" Now,". says Augustine, " thou hast Christ
" by faith ; now by the sign of Christ ; now
'* by the sacrament of baptism ; now by the
*' meat and drink of the ahar f."
" Thou shalt presently embrace our Lord
" himself,*' says Chrysostom to one about to
be baptized, " be mingled with his body, be
*' incorporated into that body which is seated
*' above +."
But the Fathers have not represented Christ
as only present in baptism. In this ordinance,
Christians are likewise said to be partakers of
his body and blood : " The Gentiles," says
Cyril of Alexandria, " could not have shaken
" off their blindness, and contemiplated the di-
" vine and holy Jight, unless, by holy baptism,
*' they had been made partakers of his holy
" flesh il," kc.
*' Neither need any one in the least doubt,"
says Fulgentius, " that every believer is then -
'' made a partaker of Christ's body and blood,
" when he is made, in baptism, a member of
^' Christ's body §."
As
* Ajcl. D«vid. c. 12. f In Joan. Tract, ^c.
t In Ala*-. Hem. 50. || In Jean. ix. 6.
§ De Ba[t /Tithiop.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 297
As the R. appears so much attached to the
Fathers, it may be gratifying to him to hear-
their sentiments concerning the nature of the
eucharist. I will therefore produce a few quo-
tations from their writings, which he may
explain in his next treatise on transubstantia-
tion.
" That which is bread from the earth '^ savs
Ireneus, " perceiving the call of God, is not
" now coinmon bread, but the eucharist ; con-
*' sisting of two things, the one earthly, and the
'' other spiritual *."
" Bread and wine,'' says Macarius, " are
** offered in the Church, the antitype of his
*' flesh and blood ; and they who are partakers
*' of the visible bread, do spiritually eat the
*' flesh of the Lord f."
" For as, (in the eucharist),*' says Chrysos-
tom, " before the bread is consecrated, we
call it bread ; jt)ut when the grace of God by
the priest has consecrated it, it has no longer
the name of bread, but is counted worthy to
be called the Lord's body ; though the nature
of bread remain in it, and we do not say
there are two bodies, but one body of the
Son +."
" He," says Theodoret, " who called his
body, which is so by nature, wheat and
bread, and again termed himself a vine, ho-
'' noured
* Lib. i\, c. 34. f flom. 27. X A'dv. ApoUin.
[
X.
898 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' noured the visible symbols with the appella-
•' tion of his body and blood, not changing na-
" ture, but to nature adding grace * ;" And
again, " After consecration, the mystical sym- •
*' bols do not depart from their own nature ;
*' for they remain still in their former sub-
" stance, figure, and form, and may be viewed
" and touched the same as before f."
" The symbols of the body and blood of i
*' Christ, which we take," says Pope Gelasius,
*' are surely a divine thing ; for w'hich reason v
*' we become, by them, partakers of the divine
*' nature ; and yet the substance or nature of .
*' bread and wine does not cease to exist ; and I
*' indeed, the image and likeness of the body
" and blood of Christ are celebrated in the ac-
*' tion of the mysteries. Therefore, it appears I
" sufficiently evident to us, that we ought to
*' think of our Lord what we profess, and cele-
" brate, and receive in his inwe ; That as they
*' (the elements) pass into the' diving substance
*' by the operation of the Holy Spirit, their na-
*' ture still remaining in its own property *,'' &c.
*' Thus," says Ephrem Antiochenus, '" the
* body of Christ, which is received by the
*' faithful, does not depart from its sensible sub->J
*' stance, and yet it remains unseparated from
*' the intellectual grace : So baptism, becoming^
" wholly spiritual and one, preserves its own'
" sensible
* Dial. I. f Dial. 2. J De Duab. Nat. in Christ.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 299
*' sensible substance, I mean water, and does
*' not lose what it is made to be *."
'' When our Lord," says Chrysostom, " de-
*' livered the mysteries, he delivered wine t«'*
" To eat bread," says Augustine, " is the
" sacrifice of the New Testament J."
" Now, that is, in the time of the New Tes-
*' tament, the holy universal Church through
*' the whole earth does not cease to offer, in
*' faith and charity, the sacrifice of bread and
*' wine to Christ, with the Father and the Holy
*' Spirit, who have one dignity together with
" him ||."
The R, must have been very poorly versed in
the Fathers, when he aiiirmed that transubstan-
tiation was universally taught till the days of Be-
rengarius. If these testimcnies do not edify,
they are at least calculated to convince him of
his mistake.
But Papists have erred no less about the use,
than about the nature of the eucharist. " In
*' the public sacrifice of the mass," says the R.,
*' J. ChrivSt was believed to be really present,
" and offered up to his eternal father, under
** the appearance of bread and Vv'ine as a propi-
*' tiatory sacrifice, . . . §"
This unscriptural opinion originates in the
supposition
* Apud Phot. Elbl. Cod. 229. f In Mat. Horn. 83.
X De Civ. Dei, Lib. 17. c. 3. |1 De Fide ad Petr.
c 19. § P. 58.
I'iOO POPERY CONDEMNED BY
supposition that Christ, in the last Sapper, of-
fered his body and blood to God, as an atone-
ment for sin, because it is said in the words of
institution, " This is my body, which is broken
" for you," kc, A very little attention to the
language of scripture will discover this conclu-
sion to be totally unfounded. A future event,
when near and certain, is frequently mentioned
as having already occurred : " I'he Son of
" man," says Christ, " is betrayed into the
*' hands of sinners^." And if the R. give
himself the trouble of convSulting either the Vul-
gate or the Missal, he will find a coincidence
between them and the Protestant view of the
words of institution, " This is my blood which
" shall be shed."
But we need not rest the refutation of this
doctrine on criticism. In the scriptures, the
necessity of repeating Christ's propitiatory sa*
orifice is plainly denied.- In the tenth chapter
of the epistle to the Hebrews, the R. will find
an illustration of the sufficiency of that saciifice
which our Redeemer perfected on the cross ;
and likewise, of the inutility of all Jewish and
Popish propitiations ; " By the which will we
'* are sanctified, throu;;h the offL-ring of the
" body of Jesus Christ o?ice. And every priest
*• standeth daily ministering, and offering often-
" times the same sacrifices, which can never
*' take
* Mattb. XX vi. 43.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. SOI
*' take away sins : But this man, after he had
** offered one sacrifice for sins, forever sat down
*' on the right hand of God ; . . . For by one
" offering he hath perfected for ever them that
*' are sanctified. . . . Now, where remission of
** these (sins) is, there is no more offering for
*' sin *." Papists, then, with their frequent
masses, are the kinsmen of these heathen, who
expect to be heard in prayer for their much
speaking ; and doubtless they are equally suc-
cessful.
The scriptures, likewise, as plainly show the
Lord's Supper to be a service of commemora-
tion. The symbols of his body and blood, in
this ordinance, are intended to direct the faith
of the Christian to that offering, which has al-
ready completely satisfied divine justice for sin ;
*' Do this in remembrance of me ; for as often
*' as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye
*' do shew the Lord's death till he come." If
the R. consult the Fathers, he will find this view
of the eucharist very extensively inculcated :
" It is not," says Eulogius of Alexandria,
*' the offering of different sacrifices, but the
" commemoration of a sacrifice once offered f."
" He commanded us," says Eusebius, " to
" offer to God continually the remembrance,
" instead of the sacrifice |."
N When
* Ver. 10 i8. f Apud Phot. Cod. 280,
t Demonstr. Evang. Lib. i. c. 10.
^0- POPERY CONDEMNED BY
When the Christians were accused of not sa-
crificing for the Roman Emperors, Tertullian
rephed, that tlieir religion knew no propitiatory
sacrifice : " We do not/' says he, " sacrifice
*' for others, because we do it not for our-
'* selves *,"
The Fathers, indeed, frequently call the eu-
charist a sacrifice ; but they leave us in no un-
certainty concerning its nature. They consider-
ed it merely as a figurative representation of the
death of Christ, and an offering of gratitude to
God for his goodness : '' Diligently consider,"
says Ephrem Syrus, " how Christ, taking the
bread in his hands, blessed and brake it, for
a figure of his immaculate body ; and he also
blessed and gave the cup to his disciples, for
a figure of his precious blood f."
" The bread," says Tertullian, " which he
took and distributed to his disciples, he made
his body, saying. This is mij hody^ that is, the
figure of my body |."
" We are not Atheists," says Justin Martyr,
Vv'e worship the Maker of all things, who ,
needs neither blood, libations, nor incense,
v/ith the word of prayer and thanksgiving. —
And we are persuaded, that he needs no ma-
terial oblation from men ||," And likewise.
Prayers and praises made by good men, are
" the
* Apol. c. lo. f Tract, de Nat. Dei. % Adv.
Marc. Lib. 4. c. 40. || Apol. 2.
SCRIPTURE AND THi: FATHERS. 305
" the only perfect and acceptable sacrifice to
« God*."
" This is the host to be offered," says Minu-
tius Felix, '' a good mind, a pure soul, a sin-
" cere conscience ; these are our sacrifices, these
" are the sacred things of God f."
These quotations exhibit the views which the
Fathers entertained of the Lord's Supper ; and
they are not the hundredth part of the proof
which can be extracted from them, if requisite.
The Romish Church has, then, very little rea-
son to boast of their advocacy. They hcive
made her an ungrateful return for trumpeting
their praises so long and loudly. Like a m.ob
in a scuffle, who make no distinction between
friends and foes, these Fathers have attended
more to the quantity than the quality of broken
heads ; and, instead of assisting, have ruined
the cause of those who called them to their aid.
Still, however. Papists are not without their con-
solations. When revolving ages have rendered
Baronius, Bellarmine, and the R., no longer mo-
dern authors, they will naturally be classed among
the Fathers of the Church, and the standards
of orthodoxy. Long before the arrival of these
happy days, also, the primitive writers on Chris-
tianity wdll be totally forgotten ; and then the
Church of Rome will enjoy a complete revenge,
in quoting her own Fathers, to the utter confu.
N 2 sion
* Dial, cum Tryph. f Minut. Octav.
^04i POPERY CONDEMNED, &C.
sion and dismay of all Protestant innovators and
pretended reformers.
When the R. finds himself disposed to con-
trovert the proofs which have been adduced a-
gainst the Popish view of the eucharist, will he
be so kind as to show, from scripture and the
Fathers, a warrant for the adoration of the host,
and for altering the institution, by with-holding
the cup from the people ? And if he please, he
may also inform us, whether all the apparatus
which the Romish Church employs about this
institution, can be traced to divine appointment.
We Protestants have always conceived, that
the motions and genuflexions used by the priest
bear a greater resemblance to the tricks of a
merry Andrew, than to the religion of the gos-
pel. Could he, therefore, give us a satisfactory
account of these things, it would be one step
toward the conversion of heretics.
C li A P.
( 305 )
CHAP. VIII.
ON PURGATORY, AND PRAYERS FOR THE
DEAD.
»
J HE Church of Rome has judiciously percei-
ved, that, on account of the vast variety of
character and conduct which appears in the
world, it must be difficult to draw a line
of distinction between the righteous and the
wicked. Among men, there may be a number
whose vices counterbalance their virtues, and
show them very ill prepared for happiness ;
while, at the same time, it might be too hard a
lot to consign them to misery. Influenced,
therefore, by that charity to which heretics can
bear the most ample testimony, she has provided
a receptacle for the scabby part of the flock, ia
which all their diseases may be cured by one
general purgation ; and to this place she has
naturally given the name of Purgatory. Though
the existence of such a place be not once men-
tioned in scripture, had the Romish Church
ever been there herself, Protestants might per-
haps have allowed her the privilege of roman-
cing a little, hke other great travellers, and yet
believed her report concerning it to be radically
N 3 true.
^06 POPERY COKDEMl^ED EY
true. But, as all her knowledge of it proceeds
from persons who knew^ as little about it as her-
self, we have been disposed to judge her testi-
mony entirely apocryphal.
The R,, in speaking of purgatory, has pru-
dently classed it among those doctrines which
are known to the Church by oral tradition. He
has, however, produced no proof, that it was
either taught by the apostles, or believed by
their immediate successors. Yet there is certain-
ly no doctrine in the Popish creed, which has
greater need of confirmation. To show him
the necessity of paying a more particular atten-
tion to this part of his faith, I wdll mention some
of those reasons which have induced Protestants
to reject it as a fiction. But, before producing
these, it may not be amiss to take a short view
of the account given by Popish writers of its
nature and local situation.
Purgatory having been provided for the re-
ception of sinners, it is naturally understood to
be a place of punishment. As such it is accord-
ingly defined in the catechism published by or-
der of the Council of Trent : " There is a
*' purgatorial fire, in which the souls of thje
" faithful, being tormented for a certain time,
" are expiated ; that so a passage may be open-
" ed for them into their eternal country, where
" no unclean thing can enter *." It is not,
however,
* Cat. ad Par. p. i. art. 5. sect. 5.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 307
however, by any means understood, that a sin-
ner in purgatory must be unavoidably punished
in proportion to his cwmes. Paying the clergy
well for saying prayers and masses, has been
discovered to be of vast use for alleviating the
pains of these suffering purgatorians ; and
hence a decision of the Council of Trent,
founded on the most disinterested and benevo-
lent principles : " That they are assisted by the
suffrages of the faithful, but particularly by
the acceptable sacrifice of the mass ; and
therefore the bishops should diligently take
care that the wholesome doctrine of purgato-
" ry, delivered by the holy Fathers and Coun*
" ciis, be believed, held, and taught, by all tlie
« faithful in Christ *."
Respecting the local situation of purgatory,
there is not such a general agreement. Accord^
ing to Bellarmine, the most prevalent opinion is,
that the damned and the purgatorians are tor-
mented in the same place and fire. Some, how-
ever, have considered certain places upon the
earth as particularly appropriated for this pur- '
pose ; and undoubtedly with good reason, for
witnesses, esteemed worthy of credit in the
more flourishing days of Popery, have assured
us of their beholding departed souls broiling on
gridirons, roasting on spits, smoking in chim-
neys, and enduring other similar punishments, .
N 4 which
*■ Sess. 25.
iiOS POPERY CONDEMNED BY
which might be supposed to free them from the
pollutions of sin. Mount iEtna, Vesuvius, and
such warm climates, have also been declared
the entrances to this place of purification. A
door to purgatory has even been discovered in
Ireland. Whether this passage has been provi-
ded expressly for the convenience o^ the faith-
ful in that part of the Church, on account of
their more urgent need of purification, I will
not presume to determine. I will merely pre-
sent to the reader Cardinal de Vitry's account
of it. " There is," says he, " a certain place
in Ireland, called the purgatory of St Patrick,
into which, if any pei'son enter, unless he be
truly penitent and contrite, he is immediately
seized and murdered by devils, and never re-
" turns more. When one who is truly con-
" trite, and has made confession, enters, these
" devils chastise him with fire, water, and a
" thousand other kinds of tortures, till he have
" undergone a complete purgation. But they
*' who are greater delinquents meet even witli
" much harder treatment. Those who return
thence after this cleansing never laugh, nor
joke, nor care for any worldly objects, but
go about whining and howling, neglecting
the past, and minding only futurity *."
Such are the nonsensical fables which have
been retailed by the clergy, and believed by the
simple
* Lib. c. 92.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 309
simple in that community, which styles itself
*^ the pillar and ground of the truth.'* Leaving
the R., then, to contrast them with his boasts of
the purity of the Romish Church, I will pro-
ceed to show him, that the Popish doctrine of
purgatory is without foundation either in revela-
tion or the Fathers.
Were this article of the Romish creed trtfe, it
must be allowed to be of considerable importance
in religion. We might therefore expect to find
it mentioned in that system of principles which
are laid down in scripture, for directing the faith
and practice of the Church. Can the R., then,,
show, why heaven is so often exhibited there to
incite men«to duty, and hell to deter them from
vice ; without the most distant hint of a period
and place of reformation beyond the precincts
of the grave ? Indeed, the scriptures oppose
very plainly the doctrine of purgatory. They
represent death to the Christian as followed by
a cessation from all suifering, and an entrance
into eternal happiness ; " Blessed are the dead
" who die in the Lord from henceforth : yea,
*' saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their
*' labours * ;" and the apostle Paul assures us,
that the Christian who is absent from the body
is present with the Lord \,
The doctrine of purgatory originates in the
unscriptural notion, that some sins, though they
N 5 ought
* Rev. xlv. 13. f 2 Cor. v. 8.
310 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
ought to be punished, are not in their nature so
cftcnsive as to deserve eternal misery ; and
hence it has been defined to be " a place or
" state, where souls, departing this life with
" the guilt of some venial sins, are purged and
" purified before their admission into heaven."
This view of some sins the R. attempts to illus-
trate in the 26th page of the Remarks. " We
*' Catholics," says he, *' do think that some
*' lies are venial, and some are damnable, with-
" out thinking any lie either laudable or lawful ;
'' for we have not yet learnt to believe even on
*' the evangelical authority of the Wirtemberg
^' Evangelist Martin, that all sins are equally
damnable j we think that an act o/ intempe-
rance on the King's Birth day is not so dam-
nable a crime as murder ; we think that an
amusing jest is not inductive of perdition,
though atrocious calumny most certainly is,
and this our doctrine is so evidently founded
on reason, that Horace, an Epicurean poet,
" believed it,"
This heathen poet must be allowed to have
been excellently skilled in Christian morality.
Might not the R. also have told us, how Horace
has extolled fornication and drunkenness, and
even sung the praises of sodomy ; and thca
^Jiown us, that all these have been practised in
the Romish Church, as being evidently found-
ed in reason ? Protestants have never judged
Popish
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHEIIS. 31 i
Popish Clergymen to be scrupulous adherents to
the vscrlptures ; but making the principles of
heathen poets a standard of orthodoxy, far ex-
ceeds even our blackest views of them. After
all, a few references to the word of God might
do no injury to the cause of morality.
If the R. imagine the Protestant doctrine to
be, that every sin subjects men to condemnation,
he is perfectly correct. The divine law neither
approves nor tolerates any thing inconsistent
with its precepts ; and therefore every breach of
it must be of a damning nature. In its penalty,
w^e are accordingly informed, that " the wrath
" of God is revealed from heaven against all
" ungodliness and unrighteousness of men ^ ;"
and at the same time, we ai'e expressly warned
against the Popish doctrine, of. venial transgres-
sions, which, an apostle assures us, originates.
in deception : " Let no man deceive you with
" vain words ; for, because of these things,
" Cometh the wrath of God upon the children
** of disobedience f.'* 1 would then be glad to
know, if the R. can specify any way in which
this wrath comes upon men, but in the form of
that " death, which is the wages of sin.'*
But, if he suppose that Protestants consider
every sin as equally damnable in degree, he is
chargeable with gross ignorance or misrepresent
N 6 tation.
* Rom. i.iS. f Eph. v. 6.
312 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
tation. We view some sins as more grievous
than others, both in their nature and aggrava-
tions ; and therefore we believe, that when God
brings every work into judgement, he will ren-
der to every man according to his works. Still,
however, we believe the punishment of all to
be perpetual, because we know no part of the
divine law which promises life to an offender
after the infliction of death. Had the R. at-
tended to the nature of laws, he would have
perceived the absurdity of such an idea. It
would have shown him, that death, which is the
wages of sin, is not a punishment designed for
the reformation of offenders. It supposes the
existence of these repugnant to the interests of
society ; and therefore it involves in it both a
punishment and a total exclusion. We have,
on this account, judged the doctrine of purga-
tory equally inconsistent with the law of God
and the common principles of equity.
The R. is rather unlucky in his illustrations
of the venial nature of some sins. '^ We Ca-
«
*' iholics," says he, " do think that some lies
" are venial." All persons who tell lies, he must
allow, come naturally under the denomination
of liars ; and these, says the scripture, " shall
" have their part in the lake which burneth with
'• fire and brimstone :'* and the R. must be-
ware of thinking this merely a purgatorial busi-
ness y
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 515
ness ; for it is immediately subjoined, " which
** is the second death *."
" We think," says he, " that an act of in«
" temperance on the King's Birth day is not so
*' damnable a crime as murder.''
If drunkenness ought to be tolerated at all, it
is certainly when a Papist rejoices in the prospe-
rity of the house of Hanover. That is neither
such an outrage upon the feelings of nature,
nor so repugnant to the spirit of religion, as
dancing, in joyous acclamation, around roasting
heretics. But though drunkenness may not be
attended always with the same aggravations as
murder, it is no less incorsistent with the pro-
hibitions of God ; and it equally subjects to a
corresponding sentence of condemnation. When
a drunkard appears at the tribunal of God, does
the R. think his excuse for degrading himself
below the dignity of man, and trampling on the
practice of piety and virtue, will be accepted as
valid, because he was guilty on the King's birth-
day ?
" We think," says he farther, " that an
*' amusing jest is not inductive of perdition,
*' though atrocious calumny most certainly is."
As far as I know, Protestant divines have
never classed wit among the breaches of the de-
calogue ; though they have frequently declared
that it may be prostituted to the most sinful
purposes.
* Rev. xxi. 8.
314' POPERY COxVDZMN'ED BY
purposes. Of this the R. has produced a very
appropriate example, when he mentions an
amusing jest and atrocious calumny as different
ways of murdering a person's reputation. He
seems to think, that the harm does not consist
so much in the effect produced, as in the means
of accomplishing it. He who retails slander
with great seriousness, is an atrocious sinner ;
but he who propagates falsehood merely for his
amusement, alleviates his crime by his good-na-
ture : And the consequence is, that the former
is remitted to hell for his seriousness, and the
latter to purgatory for his fun. If the R. would
wish to establish the doctrine of venial sins, he
must turn his attention to more appropriate iU
lustrations.
The doctrine of purgatory originates likewise
in a mistaken view of the mediation of Christ.
*' Those,*' says De Meaux, " who 'depart this
" life in grace and charity, but nevertheless ow-
** ing divine justice some pains, are to suffer
" them in the other life. — This is what the
'■ Council of Trent proposes for our belief, re-
*' specting the souls detained in purgatory *."
The absurdity of this statement can be very
easily shown. It supposes, that either divine
justice requires a double atonement for sin, or
that the sufferings of men are necessary to per-
fect the satisfaction of Christ. But both thesQ
positions
* Sect. 8. p. .15.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATIITRS. 315
positions tend to annihilate divine justice entire-
ly. A double atonement is more than equity
requires, and two incomplete satisfactions less ;
for a law can never declare any thing righteous-
ness, which does not perfectly answer its de-
mands. The scriptural doctrine of the atone-
ment, also, illustrates the absurdity of both
these views : " He bare our sins in his own
" body upon the tree *." " He has redeemed
*' us from the curse of the law, being made a
" curse for us t *•" And consequently, " There
*' is no condemnation to them who are in Christ
" Jesus +." Will the R. then show, how jus-
tice can require ^ome pains of persons who are
not under its sentence of condemnation ? In the
economy of grace, the Christian feels the in-
fluence of divine justice, only as it operates
for the accomplishment of the promises of the
gospel.
Should the R. refer to the afflictions of the
Christian life as a proof that justice requires seme
pains, he has yet a great deal to learn concerning
both the source and design of this part of the di-
vine dispensations. Afflictions, to a sinner, pro-
ceed from justice exacting a penalty for broken
law^s ; but to the Christian, they originate in love ;
for " whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and
" scourgeth every son whom he receiveth ||."
In
* 2 Pet. il. 24. f Gal, iii. 13. :j: Rora.vlii. i,
II Htb. xii. 6,.
olO POPERY CONDEMNED BY
In the former case, therefore, these suilenngg
respect merely the demands of the law ; in the
latter, the object in view is reformation ; " He
" corrects us for our profit, that we may be
** partakers of his holiness * ;" and that this
end is ultimately promoted, we are also assured
in the scriptures : " No chastisement for the
*' present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous ;
" nevertheless afterwards, it yieldeth the peace-
" able fruits of righteousness unto them who
" are exercised thereby f." Before Papists,
therefore, can establish the doctrine of purga-
tory, they must subvert this view of the econo-
my of grace.
As purgatory is one of the oral traditions of
the Romish Church, we may next examine the
sentiments of the Fathers.
" In the other world,^' §ay3 Epiphanius,
" after men's death, there is no fasting, repen-
** tance, alms, nor piety. There Lazarus comes
*' noL to Dives, nor Dives to Lazarus. The
*' storehouses are sealed ; there is no egress ; the
** time is accomplished ; the combat ended ; the
" race run, and the crowns given ; and they
*' who have striven are quiet. After death, all
*' things are plainly terminated. While all are
" in combat, after falling there may be rising
" again ; there is yet hope, there is yet help . . .
*' salvation is not desperate. After death, the
" King
* Keb. xii. JO. f Ver. il,
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 317
*' King shuts the doors, and admits none : Af-
" ter our departure, we may not correct what was
" formerly amiss in us *."
" He,'* says Chrysostom, " who in this life
*' shall not wash away his sins, shall find no con-
" solation hereafter ; this is the time of combat-
" ing, that of crowning f."
" Tell me,*' says he, " what is the meaning
" of these bright lamps at funerals ? Is it not,
" that we may bring forth the dead as victorious
" combatants ? Why are the hymns ? Is it not,
" because we glorify God for crowning him who
" is departed ; that he has freed him from la-
*' hours and from the fear of death, having him
'^ with himself I?"
" The heathen," says Lactantius, " speak of
*' a bivium or two ways in the shades, relating
" to the dead ; we more truly say, that these
** two ways are heaven and hell ; for to the righ-
** teous immortality belongs, to the wicked ever-
" lasting death ||." '
'^ No man," says Hilarius, " after this life,
" can be helped or delivered by the merits and
" works of another §."
*' When the soul," says Jerome, " freed from
'* the bands of the body, shall have liberty to fly
" whither it will, or whither it is compelled to
* Haeres. 59. ' f In Gen. Horn. 5. % I'^ Heb.
Hem. 4. II Instit. Lib. 6. c. 3. § In Mat. 25.
318 POPERY COKDEMNED BY
" go, it shall either be carried to hell, or exalt-
*' ed to heaven *."
^^ Of a third place ^^ says Augustine, " we
*' are entirely ignorant ; nor do we find it in the
" holy scriptures f. There is no middle place to
" any^ that he who is not with Christ, should
** not be with the devil J. In whatever state the
" day of death finds any one, he shall be judged
** accordingly at the last day ||.*'
It is not without reason that the R. has boast-
ed of the orthodoxy of the Fathers. Their works
are calculated to extort, even from Protestant
heretics, a confession of their excellence for de-
ciding some controverted points in religion.
The belief of the existence of a purgatory is
far from being so universal and uninterrupted as
the R. imagines. Even as late as the twelfth
century, it was not universally received in the
Romish Church. " Some do affirm,*' says Otto
Frisingensis, anno 1140, " that there is in hell
*' a place of purgatory, in which such as are to
" be saved, are either only troubled with dark-
*' ness, or decocted with the fire of expiation §."
To this many other testimonies might be added,
if necessary. At present, I will only subjoin the
sentiments of Joannes Roffensis, the Pope's mar-
tyr in the days of Henry VIII., who spoke upon
this
* In Amos 9. f Hvpngnost. Lib. 5. % De
Peccat. Mer. et Remiss, c. 28. \\ Ad Hesych. Ep. 80,.
§ Chron. Lib. 8. c. 26.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 319
this point with more candour than credit to his
cause. " No true believer," says he, " doubts
*' the existence of a purgatory ; though it be
*' never, or very rarely indeed, mentioned by
" ancient writers, and though the Greeks do not
" believe it to this day :" And then he proceeds
to shovv' how much this wholesome doftrine tend-
ed to the edification of the clergy. ** As long
•' as there was no concern about purgatory, none
*' regarded Indulgences ; for, from the former
*' proceeds all the esteem which persons have for
" the latter. If there be no purgatory, of what
*' use are Indulgences ? No sooner did men be-
*' come terrified for the torments of purgatory,
*■ than these w^re in request *•**
Since the Church of Rome has such a con-
troul over purgatory, can the R. assign any rea-
son, Vv^hy her charity is not frequently displayed
by a general jail-delivery of these wTetched sin-
ners ? Is it because the clergy are not remarkable
for their benevolence ? or, because prayers and
masses are availing, exactly in proportion to the
price which is paid for them ? Did many of the
Romish clergy express their sentiments respect-
ing the efficacy of these, they would use the Ian-
guage of Cardinal Richelieu, who, after posing
his chaplain to tell him how many masses were
requisite to free a soul from purgatory, solved
the
* Polyd, VIrg. Lib. 8. c. f.
320 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
the difficulty by replying, " Exactly the same
" number as of snow-balls to heat an oven/'
Protestants will not deny, that a receptacle of
the dead, distinct from both heaven and hell, is
mentioned in the writings of some of the Fathers.
It is represented by them, however, as of a very
different nature from the purgatory of Papists.
In some of the first centuries, it appears to have
been an opinion pretty generally received, that,
except Christ, none are admitted into heaven till
the day of judgement. The saints were suppo-
sed to be subjected to what Ireneus denominates
" the law of the dead," and " the order of the
' ' promotion of the just,'* that is, they were not ad-
mitted into the highest heavens, nor to the posses-
sion of their full reward, till after the resurrection.
But these Fathers never considered this" separate
state as at all connected with punishment to the
saints. On the contrary, they declared it to be a
place of rest and happiness : " It is," says Ter-
tuUian, " a place of divine pleasantness, appoint-
ed for " the spirits of holy men *." It was not,
therefore, a state in which they either needed or
could be helped by the masses of the Church ;
for there could be no change in their condition,
before the resurrection.
Some of the Fathers also maintained, that, at
the day of judgement, all men must undergo a
fiery trial ; " We must all be tried by fire,'*
says
* Apol. c 47. "
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 321
says St. Ambrose, " Christ only, who is the
" righteousness of God, and never committed
" sin, escapes It */' But this affords no proof
of the existence of purgatory ; for, as the R.
knows, that is not designed for all men, but
chiefly for the benefit of such as can pay well to
get out of it.
Origen was the first, person who taught the
doctrine of a purgatory. He supposed the great
end of all punishment to be reformation ; and
therefore he maintained, that in course of time,
not only all men, but all devils, would be saved.
This was one of the novelties which he attempt-
ed to introduce into religion ; and as such, it
was rejected by the Church, and received the
mark of reprobation in the fifth general Coun-
cil.
At present, it will be unnecessary to show
how Papists have perverted the sentiments of the
Fathers, by attempting to produce them in de-
fence of purgatory. When the R. brings them
forward, he will perhaps find them of very little
use to his cause. Should he ever attempt a vin-
dication of this doctrine, I would advise him to
illustrate it from the Fathers in all its bearings.
For every quotation to prove its existence, let
him produce one to show, that these primitive
teachers of Clirisiianity sold prayers, masses, and
Indulgences,
* In Ps. 1 1 8. Serm. 20.
322 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
Indulgences, to diminish pains inflicted by the
justice of God.
In connection with the doctrine of purgatory,
it will be necessary to take a short view of the
Popish practice of using prayers and other ser-
vices for the dead ; because the R. has attempted
to produce the latter as an evidence of the ex-
istence of the former. From the subsistence of
this usage in early times, he concludes, that the
primitive Christians believed in a purgatory, and
received the traditional account of it from the
apostles ; '•' So true is it," says he, " that in
" the practice of the Church, founded by the
*' Apostles, the genuine sense of the doctrine,
" which they taught is to be found ;" . . . *
Protestants will not dispute vi-ith him the early
existence of this practice. We may not, how-
ever, concede to him so readily the inferences
which he attempts to deduce from it.
In order to ascertain whether . these prayers
and services originated in the belief of a purga-
tory, it will be only necessary to attend to the
nature of them. This is suiliciently explained
in the liturgies of the Church, from which the
following quotations are extracted.
"We offer unto thee this reasonable service,
" for those who are at rest in the faith ; our an-
*' cestors, fathers, patriarchs, prophets and a-
" postles,
* P. 59-
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 323
** pestles, preachers, evangelists, martyrs, con-
" fessors, religious persons, and for every spirit
*' perfected in the faith ; particularly for our
'* most holy, immaculate, and most blessed lady,
" the mother of God, the ever Virgin Mary/' —
Liturgy of the Church of Constantinople, ascri-
bed to Chrysostom.
" Be mindful, O Lord, of thy saints ; vouch-
safe to remember all thy saints, who have
pleased thee from the beginning ; our holy
fathers, the patriarchs, prophets, apostles,
martyrs, confessors, preachers, evangelists,
and all the souls of the just who have died in
the faith ; particularly the holy, glorious, ever-
more Virgin Mary, the mother of God, and
St. John the fore-runner, the baptist and mar-
tyr, St. Stephen the first deacon and martyr,
St. Mark the apostle, evangelist, and mar-
tyr,** &c. — Liturgy of the Church of Egypt,
ascribed to Basil, Nazianzen, and Cyril of Alex-
andria.
" Be mindful, O Lord, of them who are dead
*' and departed out of this life ; and of the or-
" thodox bishops, who, from Peter and James,
** the apostles, to this day have clearly professed
*' the right word of faith ; and particularly of
" Ignatius, Dionysius, Julius, and the rest of
*' the saints of worthy memory. Be mindful,
" O Lord, of them also w'ho have stood unto
" blood for religion, and by righteousness and
" holiness
C(
ii
S24? POPERY CONDEPINED BY
" holiness have fed thy holy flock.*' — Liturgy
ascribed to Basil.
The author of The Ecclesiastical Hierarchy,
after describing the person deceased, as " re-
*' plenished with divine joy, and now feeling no
*' more any change for the worse, being public-
*' ly pronounced a happy man, and truly admit-
*' ted into the society of the saints who have
** been from the beginning of the world," intro-
duces the bishops praying for him, " that God
" would forgive him all the sins which he had
committed through human infirmity, and bring
him into the light and land of the Hving ; into
the bosom of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob ;
** into the place where there is no more any pain,
" nor sorrow, nor sighing *.**
From these public prayers, no proof can be
produced in favour of purgatory. On the con-
trary, those for whom they were presented, were
supposed to have already entered into a state
of rest and felicity. By these quotations, the
R. will also discover what views the Church
formerly entertained respecting the influence of
the Virgin Mary, and other saints in heaven.
As yet they had not learnt how beneficial it is to
say, " Holy Virgin, Sec. pray for us." But it
is easy to account for the change which has oc-
curred in the worship of the Romish Church,
That community has prayed her saints into great
favour J
. * C?7.
SCRIPTURE AND TilE FATHERS. §25
favour ; and now, it is presumed, they are grate-
fully inclined to employ it for the advantage of
their benefactors.
If we next turn our attention to tne prayers
of individuals, we will find them resting on the
supposition of their being actually in the pos-
session of ease and happiness. To illustrate the
views of these ancient Christians, I will oroduce
a few extracts from the Oration of St. Ambrose,
on the death of Theodosius : " Give perfect rest
" to thy servant Theodosius; that rest which
" thou hast prepared for thy saints. Let his
*' soul ascend to that place, whence it had its
*' origin ; where it may be out of the power of
** death ; where it may know, that death is not
** an end of nature, but of sin. I loved him,
" and therefore I pursue him to the region of the
" living ; nor will 1 leave him, till, by my tears
" and prayers, I bring him whither his merits
" call him, into the holy mountain of our Lord,
" where there is life without end." Still St.
Ambrose was a stranger to purgatory ; nor did'
he entertain the least doubt of the felicity of
Theodosius ; for says he, in a preceding part ot
the Oration, '* Theodosius of honourable me-
" mory, being freed from doubtful combat, now
*' enjoys everlasting light and continual tranquil-
" lity ; and for the things which he did in this
" body, he rejoices in the fruits of God's re-
*^ ward :" And again, " He has not la^'d down,
O *' bu-
326 POPERY CONDEP.INED BY
*' but changed his kingdom ; being taken by the
*' right hand of his piety into the tabernacles of
*' Christ, into the heavenly Jerusalem ;*' And
also, " Theodosius, therefore, remains in the
" light, and glories in the company of the
*' saints."
But nothing more plainly militates against the
Popish view of prayers for the dead, than the
account which Epiphanius has given of what he
calls the error of Aerius, This person had op-
posed a recital of the names of the dead in prayer,
asking, for what purpose it was done : " He who
" is alive," says he, " prayeth, or offereth the
*' sacrifice ; Vvhat shall this profit the dead ?' But
*' if the dead be actually profited by them, then
*' let no man henceforth trouble himself to live
^' well ; but let him oblige his friends, or give
" money to persons to pray for him, that none
*'. of these inexpiable sins, which he has com-
*' mitted, may be required of him.'' In reply
to this objection, Epiphanius does not give the
most remote hint of the existence of a purgatory;
which he could not have avoided, had it then
been known. "When he assigns the reasons for
this practice, he says, it was to declare their f^iith
and hope concerning the dead ; and to shew the
infuiite prerogative of Christ above the best of
feaims, by praying for them, but giving thanks
only for him : And that, though these prayers
were not availing to remove all sins, yet they
were
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 3^7
were profitable to implore the mercy of God for*
those who had been sinners, but had repented,
and to obtain for them a recompence for all, in
the resurrection of the just *.
Aerius, the R. will perceive, opposed the an-
cient prayers for the dead upon the most orthodox
principles. These prayers being gratis jobs, there
might be some danger of neglect or improper per-
formance. Aerius, therefore, reasoned in the true
spirit of Popery, that if these were actually of
use, they would be most advantageous in the
way of fair trade ; for then they would be more
frequent, and of course more availing. On the
contrary, Epiphanius showed himself a poor de-
fender of the Church. He forgot to assign pur-
gatory as the grand cause of these suppHcations,
and hkewise, to show that prayer in the Church
was a commodity for sale.
Should the R. ask. Of what use are prayers
for the dead, if there be no purgatory ? and why
were they made by the Fathers ? he ought to re-
collect that Protestants are under no obligations
to reply. It is sufficient for us to have shev/n,
that these did not originate in a belief of Popish
notions. By consulting the writings of the Fa-
thers, he will find m*any sentiments maintained
about the state of the dead, which are now re-
jected even by the Church of Rome, on account
02 of
528 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
of' their absurdity. In these their prayers for
the dead originated.
Wh<^i theR., from the antiquity of this prac-
tice, infers its apostolic appointment, his concki-
sion is totally unfounded. In the ancient Churchy
it was not ranked among the articles of hiith.
By consulting the conclusion of the works of E-
piphanius, where he recapitulates what is of the
Catholic faith, and what the constitutions of the
Church, he will see prayers for the dead classed
with the latter *. Tertullian also, and many
other Fathers, confessed it to be without foun-
dation in scripture. Had it been enjoined, by
the apostles, the silence of their writings is a little
surprising. The saints also under the Old Tes-
tament, must have been very deficient in the du-
ties of religion ; for in all their prayers, they
have entirely overlooked the state of the decea-
sed. Does the R. think, that the dead, during
that period, had less need of the prayers of the
living, since this exercif6 was neither enjoined
by God, nor practised by the Church ? lie in-
deed attempts to prove the contrary ; for, says
he, " Prayers and sacrifices were offered for the
" dead in the Jewish dispensation : Of this we
" have authentic evidence in the book of the
'* Maccabees, v.hich, whetlicr canonical or not,
** is at least a history written by a well-informed
" Jew,
* P. 1106.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S29
*' Jew, who knew the practice of the Jewish
" Church V
The R. is right to speak with some reserve
about the divine authority of this book. It was
never admitted into the Jewish canon of scrip-
ture, nor received by Christians ; till supersti-
tion had perverted their minds^ and persuaded
them that there was a necessity for more means
of devotion than God ever appointed. The aur
thor of it might be very well informed concern^
ing the practices of the Jewish Church, but he
seems to have been a considerable stranger to
the principles of religion, else he would scarce*
ly have given his approbation to suicide. If the
R. consider the practice of the Jevv^ish Church
as a sufficient precedent for the conduct of
Christians, there was no necessity for referring
to this apocryphal writer. In the Old Testa-
ment he will fmd some edifying precedents to
justify the conduct of the Romish Church. He
will there discover, by a cursory perusal, that
the Jews, like Papists, not only worshipped
images, but found services for the dead to be
full of comfort to the living ; '' They joined
" themselves to Baal-peor, and ate the sacrifices
« of the dead j."
0 3 CHAP.
* P- ^^>' i Psil. Cvl. 28.
( 530 )
CHAP. IX.
ON THE WORSHIP OF SAINTS AND ANGELS, AND
THE VENERATION OF IMAGES AND RELICS.
xIowEVER destitute of true religion the Church
of Rome may be, she has never been wanting
in professions of devotion. Every thing connect-
ed with the Church, from the jaw-bone of the
ass with which Samson slew the Philistines, down
to the milstone which carried St. Anthony over
the sea to Russia, has, in its turn, received some
kind of worship or veneration. To this species
of devotion we ProtevStants could never be recon-
ciled, through a persuasion that it savours more
of will-worship than of the service of God. In
behalf of our aversion, we have been long accus-
tomed to plead both scripture and antiquity ; the
former as a rule of faith and practice, the latter
as exhibiting a precedent in the Church. In op-
position to our views, the R. has produced what
he imagines a vindication of this part of the Ro-
mish religion. Though there be very little dan-
ger that his proofs and illustrations will ever per-
vert the minds of Protestants, it may not be a-
miss to review them, and show him the Protes-
tant side of this subject.
In establishing the wo^phip of creatures, the
R ) 111 :
POrERY CONDEMNED, 8cC. 331
Romish Church has experienced considerable
opposition from some texts of scripture, which
common sense would not permit them to class
among the obscure and difficult. Of these, none
has given them more trouble than a quotation
w^hich the Saviour himself produced from the
Old-Testament scriptures, expressly to show,
that religious adoration belongs to God, to the
utter exclusion of all creatures ; " Thou shalt
*' worship the Lord thy God, and him only
'^ shalt thou serve *." To preserve, therefore,
some appearance of respect for the language of
Christ, and at the sam.e time advance their own
views, they have been reduced to the necessity
of inventing some nice distinctions between the
nature of the worship, which belongs to God,
and that which may be given to his creatures.
That species of service, expressed by the Greek
term latria^ they think, belongs only to the-
Creator ; but an inferior kind, called dulia^ may
be given to angels, and other objects of their
adoration. There is, however, one small ob-
jection to this discrimination. Latr'ia and dulia
are used indiscriminately in scripture, to denote
that service which is due to God.
Between the nature of the worship of God,
and that given to creatures, the R. assures us,
there is a great difference. But, as it might be
attended with some difficulty to show in what it
O 4 consists,
* Malth. iv. ic.
332 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
consists, and might likewise lead to a more ex-
tensive view of Popish worship than would pro-
mote edification, he has wisely declined it,
and turned the discourse to his usual compli-
ments to innovators and pretended reform-
ers. " ^Tis matter of surprise,'* says he,
** how the first reformers could have pre-
" vailed en their deluded followers to believe
** that we Catholics who publicly profess our
* faith in one God, should notwithstanding a-
"• dore many Gods ; or that, whilst Vv^e know,
'* and confess, that sovereign homage and su- '
" preme worship is due to the Creator alone,
'' we should pay this homage to any of his crea-
*'' tures. The absurdity is so gross, that we can
** suiiiciently admire the stupidity of these who
** permit themselves to be duped by it ; but 'tis
*' a prodigy, that this scaflblding, however ne-
'* cessary to the architects of that work of dark-
*' ness, which misrepresentation had formed,
•' should yet continue, notwithstanding the num-
*• bcrless dissertations published by Catholic
'* writers, in which the essential difference bo-
" tween the veneration, which we Catholics have
" for Angels and Saints, and the relative respect
" we shew their relics and images, and that sovc-
'•' reign homage and supreme honor which we
''- pay our God, is- so clearly stated that even ig-
*• norance cannot mistake it. There must be
*' some hideous deformities in the work, when
" ^cafFoldinr:
SCIjlirTURE AND THE FATHLKS. 333
" ccaffolding of such monstrous aspect is found
'■ necessary to conceal them *."
The R. seems to know, that it is good gene-
ralship in controversy to make the greatest show
where there is the least force. If Popish writers
have acquitted themselves so well upon this sub«
ject, why did he not, since he is such an adept
at gleaning, pick out a few of their most con-
vincing illustrations ? They might perhaps have
reached a conviction to the minds of deluded
Protestants, which his own angry contendings
must fail to produce. " Deluded and ignorant"
as v-e are, we have never refused Papists the
credit of pretending to " know, and confess,
'' that sovereign homage and supreme worship
*' is due to the Creator alone.** We only main-
tain, that " they profess to know God, but in
" works deny him f." Whether our opinion
has been justly formed will best appear by at-
tending to the nature of that worship w^hich Pa-
pists afford to creatures.
I, Saints akd Angkls.
Though the R. has not explained the nature
of the various parts of the worship offered to
saints and angels, he has told us with what view
Papists present to them their supplications.
*' Nor did any Catholic," says he, " ever pray
0 5 - to
* P. 216, 217. f Tit. i. j6.
334 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
** to an Angel or Saint as to a Mediator, but
" simply as an intercessor, whose prayers are
'* more acceptable to God than ours. To God
*' we pray for mercy, grace, and glory, which
*' wc hope to obtain through the mediatorship
" of Jesus Christ ; to the angels we pray for
" none of these graces : we ask their prayers
*,' as more effectual than ours, . . . *" Accord-
ing to this statement, saints and angels are not
mediators, but simply intercessors. When the
R. took this view of their office, why did he
forget to show in what the difference between
them consists ? As far as I know, the word me-
diator means one who transacts business between
two parties j and what else is an intercessor ?
Supplications to them, he says also, consist
merely in asking them to pray for us. Respect-
ing this point, it may not be amiss to take the
opinion and practice of other members of the
Romish Church ; and, as the Virgin Mary is a
saint of the first magnitude, we may begin with
observing their views and worship of her.
In the Contemplations on the life and glory
of holy Mary, the mother of Jesus, published
anno 1685, Permissu Superiorum, it is said,
" The blessed Virgin is the empress of sera-
*' phims, — the most exact original o^ practical
" perfection which tlie omnipotence of God
*' ever drew j and, by innumerable titles>.shc
*' claims
* P. 214.
SCRIPTUKE AND THE FAlIiEKS. 3 35
'■ claims the utmost dutij of every Christian, as
' a proper homage to her greatness."
" O mother of God," says St. Germain,
' your defence is immortal ; your intercession
' is life ; your protection is security ; if you do
' not teach us the way, none can become spiri-
* tual, nor adore God in spirit. O most holy-
' Virgin, none can have the knowledge of God,.
' but by you : O mother of God, il^ne can.be
' saved, but by you : O virgin mother, none
■ can be delivered from dangers, but by you ;
' O favoured of God, none can obtain any gift
' or grace, but by you */*
" From the time,*' says St. Bernardino,-
' that the virgin mother conceived in her womb
' the Word of God, she obtained, as I may
' say, a certain jurisdiction and authority over.
' all the temporal processions of the Holy.
' Ghost ; so that no creature has received any
' grace or virtue from God, but according to
' the dispensation of his holy mother f."
*' i^pproach," says the Abbot of Ceiles,^
•■ with a devout contemplation of spirit, toward
' the blessed Virgin ; because through her, and
' with her, and in her, and from her, the.
' world both has, and will have, all that is good.
.... She is our advocate with the Son, as
the Son is with. the Father. She solicits for.
us both the Father and the .Son. Often those
O 0 " whom
* Verit. Devot. de Crasset. p. 31. f Ciasict. p. 37.
33G FOTERY CONDEMNED BY
" whom the justice of the Son might condemn,
*' the meixy of the mother delivers. ... In
" short, as our Saviour once said, that none
*' could come to him while he was on earth,
*' unless the Father drew hini, so dare I, in
" some sort, afiirm, thai none comes now to thij
*' glorified Son^ unless thou draw him by thy holy
*' assistance *."
In these, the R. must acknowledge, there is
a little more than merely asking the prayers of
the Virgin ; and they are a very small specimen
of the abominable blasphemies which have pro-
ceeded from the mouths of the beast and the
false prophet. Should he say, that the Church
is not accountable for the expressions of indivi-
duals, let him show us how it is pure, and pre-
served from the lightest shade of error, when
every individual may utter, with impunity, such
horrible abominations. But, to prevent him
from disclaiming the language of individuals, I
will subjoin a few specimens of the prayers of
the Church.
" We fly to your protection, O holy mother
'• of God ; despise not our prayers which we
'- make to you in our necessities ; but deliver
" us from all dangers, O glorious and ever
*' blessed Virgin t«" " Vouchsafe t'hat I may
" be worthy to praise thee, O sacred Virgin :
" Give
* Crasset. p. 33. 34. f Otriclnm E. Virg. p. 84.
Antw. Ed. 1631.
SCRIPTURE AND JUL FATHERS. 337
*' Give me, strength and power against thine
'' enemies *." " Let Mary and her son bless
'' list."
Perhaps the R. has heard of the Psalter of
Bonaventure, of which the design was, to ap-
ply to the Vii"gin all the addresses made to
God, in the psalms and hymns of the Church.
This book has been printed, with licence and
commendation, as a piece *' which was profit-
" abl.e to be printed, and very piously and com-
'' mendably to be recited by all men in their
" private prayers, to the honour of the blessed
*' Virgin." The author of it, also, has been
canonized by the Church, and worshipped a-
mong others of the same fraternity ; which cer-
tainly implies, that his works were tolerably me-
ritorious. A few quotations from it will disco-
• ver what exercises are permitted in the Romish
Church.
'' Come unto Mary, all ye that labour and
*' are heavy laden ; and she shall refresh your
•' souls.'^
" Come unto her in your tempta^ns ; and
*' the serenity of her countenance shall establish
"^ you |."
'* O Lady, in thee do I put my trust ; de-
*' liver my soul from mine enemies. O give
*' thanks unto the Lord, for he is good, O
" give
* P. ics' f P. IOC. J Ps. ii.
SS8 POPERY CONDEMN^ED Bt
" give thanks unto his mother, for her mercy
*' endureth for ever *."
Such an edition of the.Psalms, &c. it may be
easily conceived, must contain abundant speci-
mens of the same kind. At present, I will
only transcribe the concluding prayer. " O
*' my holy Lady Mary, I commend to thv
*' blessed trust and special custody, and into the
*' bosom of thy mercy, this day, and every day,
*' and in the hour of death, both my soul, and
" body. I commit all my hope and consola-
*' tion, all my troubles and my miseries, my
" life and the end of my life, to thee, that, by
** thy most holy intercession and merits, all my
*' works may be directed and disposed according
" to thine and thy Son's v/ill. Amen.'*
The R. will perceive, that many caudal ap-
pendages must be docked from this prayer, be-
fore it can be reduced to the simple form of
*' Holy Virgin, pray for us.'*
If Popish tales be true, the Rom.ish Church
is under very strong obligations to pay all this
homage, and a great deal more, to the Virgin.
There is scarcely any favour which she has with-
held from her devout worshippers. She has de-
livered them from sickness, restored their eye-
sight, preserved them from dangers, saved them
from the gallows, and even raised them from
the dead ; and, what must peculiarly tend to
the
* Ps. cvii.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 339
the consolalTon of Papists, she is not at ail
squeamish in the choice of her votaries. " Sin-
*• ,ners,'^ says Crasser, " being her subjects,
' make up her crown and glory ; and it is for
" that she loves them with the tenderness and
" "sweet compassion of a mother, let them be
" ever so wicked *.'^ " Know thou,'* said the
Virgin herself to St. Bridget, " my dearest
'- child, that there is no man in the world so
•' lewd and accursed of God, that he is entirely
*' forsaken of him while he lives ; no sinner so
*' desperate, but he may return and find mercy
'* with him, provided he have recourse to
- met."
Crasset has related many edifying proofs of
her extensive benevolence to the chief of sin-
ners.
A certain young Gascon soldier, having spent
his fortune, afterward, for particular reasons, sold
himself to the devil, and renounced the Saviour.
No temptation, however, . could induce him to
sacrifice his interest in the Virgin ; and this con*
hdence in her mercy secured him protection
from his old acquaintance Satan, who began ta
be troublesome, notwithstanding their former
friendship. On prostrating himself before an
image of the Virgin with Christ in her arms, he
was greatly comforted by the following dialogue
between the two idols. " O my sweet son,
** have
* r. 77, f Brig. Herela. Lib. 6. c. lo.
340 POPERY COiiDEMNED BY
'' have mercy on this man." " Why, mother?
" what would you have me to do with this
" wretch, who has renounced me r'^ The Vir-
gin, upon this, prostrated herself before her son,
and again demanded his pardon. This was irre-
sistible. The little imaee i*aised the laro-e one
o o
from the ground, and replied, " I never yet
*' refused my mother any thing she asked ; I
" grant it for your sake, and for yours alone *."
Should any incredulous reader inquire how the
images could hold such a conversation, or how
a little image in the arms of a large one could
raise it from the ground, and embrace it, let
him recollect that this is the least marvellous
part of the adventure. But, to obviate all diffi-
, culties, it is only necessary to remember, that
this soldier was a witness worthy of all credit,
for he belonged to a country famous for gasco-
nading, that is, for giving a plain statement of
facts without exaggeration.
Once upon a time, as Pelbart of Temeswaer
relates, a certain robber, w^ho had been accus-
tomed to fast every Saturday in honour of the
Virgin, was accidentally beheaded by some tra-
vellers, in the v/ay of his vocation. ^ After per-
forming this atchievement so effectually, they
had very little doubt of his death. But to their
curprise, the head began, with great vocifera-
tion, to cry " confession, confession." These
travellers,
* Crasset. p. 90.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S41
travellers, having saved their pursevS, were far
from possessing an implacable disposition. They
therefore quickly procured him a priest ; and
no sooner did the ecclesiastic ^pply the head to
the body, than this devout plunderer related,
that as soon as he v/as beheaded, the devils
seized his soul to carry it to hell, but vi^ere pre-
vented by the Virgin. On account of thi plea-
sure which his fastings altbrded her, she would
not permit his soul to be separated from his
body, till after confession. Now, the wonder-
ful in this story does not consist in the talking
of the head after its separation from the body ;
for that is a mere straw amors o; the works of the
Virgin. It lies entirely in the safety which a
soul possesses after confession. If a person
have only unbosomed hin\self to a priest before
death, the devil may enjoy the pleasure of see-
ing him in purgatory ; but if he expect to get
him farther, he will be miserably disappointed.
Pelbart, indeed, narrates this story only from
report. The reader, however, has no reason
to doubt either the truth of his narration, or
the power of the Virgin ; for he himself wit-
nessed another miracle no less extraordinary.
A certain wiclced villain, he informs us, fell into
the Danube, and remained under water for
threo days. In ordinary cases, there would cer-
tainly have been some danger of drowiiing ; but
to the rogue's great surprise, he was greeted in
this
542 rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
this new element with the following address.
*' Thou well deservest, base rascal, to lose thy
" life, and be condemned for ever, for thy
" sins ; but because thou art a servant to the
*' Virgin Mary, thou shalt be delivered from
*' this danf^er, that thou mayest go and be con-
" fessed." Up became accordingly, and made
the above declaration to the priest Pelbart him-
self. " It was from this man himself,*' says Cras-
set, " that the religious Pelbart heard this histo-
ry ; and you must either believe the penitent
an impostor and cheat, or else that Pelbart was
a wicked man, who took delight in imposing
on the sovereign pontiff of Rome, (to whom
he dedicated his works), and on all the faith-
ful; or you must believe this story for an ab-
solute fact ; and, consequently, that the Vir-
gin does sometimes preserve her servants from
everlasting damnation after death *.*' The
reader is at liberty to believe which he pleases.
When the Virgin bestows such marks of her
beneficence upon the base and graceless, the
faithful, who are remarkable for their pious
simplicity, have certainly reason to expect much
more extensive favours ; and the Church would
be chargeable with great ingratitude, did she .
only permit her members to say, " Holy Vir-
" gin, pray for us." But let us now take a
peep at the worship given to the little saints ;
for
* P. 134.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S43
for they are all little, when compared with
Mary.
" Many hymns," says a French writer, " are
" still remaining, in which those things are ask-
" ed from saints, which ought fo be requested
" from God alone ; such as, dehverance from
*' the bondage of sin, preservation from- spiri-
" tual diseases and hell-fire, and increase of
*' charity and fitness for heaven. Is not this
*' joining the saints with God himself? What-
*' ever men may talk of the sense of the
" Church, the very forms and natural meaning
" of the words excite otlier ideas In the minds
•' of men *,** The propriety of these observa-
tions will appear from the following specimens.
" O ye just judges and true lights of the
*' world, we pray 'to you with the requests of
*' our hearts, that ye would hear the prayers of
*' your suppliants : Ye, who by your word shut
" and open heaven, deliver us, we beseech you,
•' by your command, from alf our sins : Ye,
'' to whose command the health and sickness
" of all men is committed, heal us, who are
*' sick in our manners, and restore us to vir-
" tuet."
Confession of sin is made " to God Almighty
" and the blessed Virgin Mary, to St. Michael
*' the archangel, to St. John the Baptist, to the
" holy
* Entret. de Pbilal. et Fhiler. p. 2. p. i6o,
f Offic. P. Virg. p. 497.
344 • POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' holy apostles Peter and Paul, and to all the
" saints *."
Excommanications are performed '' by the
*' -authority of Almighty God, the Father, Son,
*' and Holy diost ; and of the blessed apostles
" Peter and Paul, and of all the saints f."
The following are extracts from a prayer of
Pope Gregory VII., offered at the head of a
synod, in excommunicating the Emperor Henry
IV., anno 1080. " Blessed Peter, prince of
the apostles, and O thou blessed Paul, doctor
of the Gentiles, vouchsafe, I beseech you,
mercifully to incline your ears unto me, and
hear me Go to now, I beseech you,
O fathers and holy princes, that all the world
may know and understand, that as you have
in heaven the power of binding and loosing,
you have also on earth power over empires,
kingdoms, principalities, &c. For 'you have
often taken away patriarchates, &c. from the
wicked and unworthy, and have given them
to religious men. Let the kings and all the
princes of the v/orld now learn how great
you are, and how much you can do ; and
' fear to undervalue the command of your
Church ; and execute judgement on the a-
'* foresaid Henry so suddenly, that all men may
" know
• * Missal. R, in Ord. Miss. f Pont. R. Ord.
ISxcom, et Absolv.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHFRS. S45
'' know that his fall is not by chance, but by
" your power *."
In the lives of the Romish saints, they are
represented as well deserving all the worship
they receive. Like the Virgin Mary, they have
wrought great deliverances for the Church,
cured deadly diseases, and even raised the dead.
Beside such stupendous works as naturally come
under the denomination of miracles, they have
been no less remarkable for little acts of endear-
ment and benevolence ; such as, helping women
in labour, curing the tooth-ach, and killing all
sorts of troublesome vermin ; and what will ap-
pear still more surprising to the reader, any
dead person whatever, who receives the name
of saint, becomes a sharer of their power, and
performs the same works. To illustrate this, I
will mention a fact, related by Ressendius, an
authority to which the R, can have no objec-
tion.
About eight miles from Evora in Fortugal,
there is a place called the cave of the martyrs,
where a number of Cfiristians, with their bishop
and his two sisters, were supposed to have been
murdered. Over the bishop's sepulchre is a
table of stone, upon which Jhe niass was wont
to be sacrificed in honour of his saintship, whom
they called Viarius ; and hither came all persons
who were pidned about the loins, and were in-
variably
* Platina in Vit. Greg. VII.
346 POPERY CO^TDEMNED BY
variably cured. When Ressendlus, who de-
signed to publish his life along with these of the
other saints, visited the spot with a view to pick
up information, he asked the priests if they pos-
sessed any records or inscriptions respecting St.
Viarius. Upon this he was directed to the table
over his sepulchre, which was inscribed with a
Latin epitaph of considerable length. But Res-
sendius, who happened to be better acquainted
with Latin inscriptions than the priest, soon dis-
covered, that the celebrated tomb of St. Viarius
contained only the heathenish carcases of two
menders of Roman highways. Information was
immediately sent to Cardinal Alphonsus, at that
time bishop of Evora, who ordered the place to
be shut up, to the great discontent of all the
simple faithful who were pained about the
loins *.
Such legendary lore drew from a learned man
of the Romish Church the following complaint :
" There is also another error not unfrequent,
" that the common people, neglecting in a man-
^' ner the ancient and known saints, worship
*' more ardently and diligently the new and un-
" known, of whose holiness we have but little
*' assurance, and of v\^hom we know some only
*' by revelations ; so that it is justly doubted of
" several, that they never' existed at all f."
Were
* Ilessend. Ep. ad Barthol. Kcbedium. f Cassand.
Contu'.r. p. 071.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 347
Were it requisite, a few forms of prayer to
ang^els mi^^cht be likewise added. Tliis, how-
ever, would be superfluous, as the Romish
Church has classed them with the saints, and
the R. assured us of their exact similarity *.
In inculcating the worship of angels, the R.
ought to have been a little more particular in his
observations. The word angel is a generic
term ; and therefore he should have specified,
whether Popish worship be restricted to any par-
ticular kind. From the following narrative of
F. GaufFre, he will perceive the necessity of
such a discrimination. It will show him that
the black kind, as well as the white, are some-
times worshipped in the Romish Church.
This worthy ecclesiastic had been called to
exorcise a terrible devil, named Arfaxa, who
had taken violent possession of the foot of sister
Bonaventure, a nun. On his arrival, she ear-
nestly entreated him to confess her ; for, as F.
Gauffre observes, the devil had a particular de-
sire to converse with him. After some conver-
sation, " I threw myself," says the Father,
*' upon my knees before him, and told him,
" that I designed to confound my ovvn pride by
*• the devil's, and learn humility from him, who
" had none. The devil, enraged to see me in
*' this posture, replied, that he had a command-
" ment to prevent me. But when I continued,
" nevertheless,
* P. 213.
sis POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" neverthdpbS, to humble myself before him,
" he thought to take ad v rentage of it, and told
*' me, Thou dost this to adore me. Villain, I
" replied, thou art too infamous ; I consider
*' thee as the creature of r>iy God, and the ob-
*' ject of his wrath, and therefore I will submit
" myself to thee, though thou -dost not deserve
" it ; and for that very reason I v/ill immediately
*' kiss thy feet. The devil, surprised at this action,
" prevented 'me. Upon this I conjured him to
" tell nie, as far as he could guess, whether it
" was the will of God that I should kiss his
** feet, or he mine. Thou knowest, says he,
*' w^hat motion God gives thee ; follow that.
** Immediately I threw myself upon the ground,
" and kissed his feet, at which he stormed ex-
" ceedingly. I then commanded him, by the
*' relics of Father Bernard, to kiss mine ; which
** he did with great readiness. After this, I
" continued on my knees before him, for half a
*' quarter of an hour *."
But, granting that all the opinions and prayers
produced amount to no more than a solicitation
for the prayers of saints and ingels, even that is
more than religion permits. In all the institu-
tions of God, there is no precept for such an
invocation ; and in the vast variety of prayers
with which scripture abounds,, there is no ex-
ample. On the contrary, we are expressly en-
joined
* Recit. Vrritable, Sic. &.c. p. 3c. 31.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 349
joined to come directly to the throne of grace
by Jesus Christ ; and by personal application, to
make our requests known to God. Does not
the R. think it a little unaccountable, that our
Lord, in teaching his disciples to pray, should
entirely overlook the invocation of saints and
angels ?
But, though the scriptures had not expressly
prohibited this species of worship, reason suffi-
ciently demonstrates the absurdity of addressing
prayer to beings, v^^hose presence cannot be as
extensively diffused as their votaries. Will the
R. inform us, also, if these spirits possess om-
niscience, and know the secret ejaculations of
the heart, as well as what fiows from the lips of
their worshippers ? or are Papists, like the ser-
vants of Baal, heard in proportion to the extent
of their vociferation * ?
He has, indeed, made a feeble attempt to ob-
viate these objections, when made by Mr Stan-
ser. ^* We are assured," says he, '^ by J.
*' Christ in very plain language that they rejoice
*' at the conversion of a sinner ; — Luke xv. 10.
*' — and common sense assures us that they
" don't rejoice at an event of which they know
" nothing : two things therefore they must
*^ know ; who are sinners, and who are sincere
*' converts f."
It is pretty wide reasoning to say, because
P \ they
** I Kings, xvlii, 27. f P. 216,
S50 POrERY CONDEMNED BY
they know two things, therefore they know eve-
ry thing ; for this is the conclusion he would
wish his readers to draw. But even the know-
ledge of these two particulars is more than the
scriptures ascribe to them. They only inform
us, that there is joy in heaven, and in the pre*
sence of the angels of God, over one sinner
that repents *, But the R., by this reply,
merely shifts an objection which he was unable
to solve. The question still recurs, Are they
omniscient ? or, how do they attain the know-
ledge requisite to render them fit objects of wor-
ship ? Nor have others of the Romish Church
been more successful in their solution of these
difficulties. The saints and angels know all
things, say some, in the glass of the Deity ;
that is, they know all things, by beholding him
who is omniscient ; They know all things, say
others, by revelation from God. The plain
meaning of both these opinions is, that God
tells saints and angels the prayers of the Church,
and then they tell God. Overlooking entirely
a whole series of absurdities on which these sen-
timents are founded, let the R. and other know-
ing Papists only inform us, how they have ob-
tained such an intimate acquaintance with the
transactions of heaven.
As the R. has attempted to prove this worship
a
* Luke, XV. 7.— So.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 351
a doctrine of scripture, I will now proceed to a
review of his illustrations.
" Let the Ex.," says he, " read the forty-
" eight chapter of Genesis, and he will see the
" patriarch Jacob, a man of some authority,
*' seriously and solemnly invoking an angel,
" and acknowledging his protection through
" life : maif the angel of the Lord^ who delivered
" 7ne from all evil bless these boifs : — ba Maleak
' ' ha goel othi 7ni cal rah jib rack eih ha Naariim,
" Gen. Iviii* 16. — Would the Ex. permit this
*' holy patriarch, who candidly acknowleges
" that the angel had delivered him from every
" evil, to say once in his life : Hchj Angel pray
" for us? or Holy Angel protect me? The pa-
" triarch done something more, for we read
*' in the thirty-second of Genesis, that he pray-
" ed an angel to bless him, and Moses, a man
" of some credit adds, tJiat the angel did bless
'** him :—vajibarek otho sham *."
For what purpose has the R. introduced these
scraps of Hebrew ? If it was with an intentioa
to display his learning, it shows rather to a dis-
advantage. A Hebrew quotation, with a version
of it from the Vulgate, which does not express
its meaning, is no mark of extensive erudi-
tion.
Since he has directed us to the thirty-second
chapter of Genesis, he can have no objection to
P 2 receive
* P. 2 J 2.
352 POPERY COKDE.'\IN£D EY
receive the account which is there given of this
angel. It will show him, why Jacob so ardent-
ly desired his blessing for himself and his de-
scendants. Moses, a man of some credit, in-
forms us there, that Jacob, a man of some au-
thority, after wrestling with the angel, " called
" the name of the place Peniel ;" for he said,
*' I have seen God face to face *.'* In Hosea's
account of this transaction, also, the same view
of the angel is afforded us. " Yea, he had
" power over the angel, and prevailed ; he
" wept, and made supplication unto him ; he
*' found him in Bethel, and there he spake with
*' us ; even the Lord God of hosts ; the Lord
*' is his memorial t." If the R. think the opi-
nion of the Fathers of importance, it can like-
wise be added. Both Athanasius | and C}^ril of
Alexandria j| declare it absurd to suppose, that
Jacob would join God with an angel, when he
said, " The God who fed me all my life lon^
*' unto this day, the angel who redeenied me
" from all evil:" And savs Justin Martvr,
/' He who' is both an angel, and ^ God, and
*' Lord, appeared to Jacob in the form of
" man §." Should the R. have any doubt ci
Christ's being called an angel in scripture, it
will be removed by consulting the prophecies of
Ivlalachi : ^' Behold, I will send my messenger,
*' and
* Vcr. 3c. f Hos. xii. 4. 5. % ^erm. 4. contra
Allan. II Thesnur. lib. 3 c. 6. J Dial, cum Tryplu
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S5S
" and he shall prepare the way before me ; and
*' the Lord, whom ye seek, shall sudderdy come
" to his temple, even the messenger or angel of
*' the covenant, whom ye delight in : behold,
*' he shall come, saith the Lord of hosts*.''*
The R/s next proof is from Exod. x^viii. 20. :
»* BeJiold, I send mij Angel to protect ijou in the
*' ivay^ and io conduct you to the place ivhkh I
*' have prepared. Beware of Jum and hear his
" voice ; don't neglect him for he 'will 7iot bear
" your prevarications^ my name is in him, ....
** Though this angel was expressly sent to pro-
** tect and conduct the Jews, and they were
*' strictly ordered to hear and obey him, they
»* could not without idolatry in our ExVs. opi-
** nion say ; Holy Angel protect tis : This is a
** stretch of stupidity — it baffles description f.*'
It seems not to have occurred to the R., that
though he could not describe a stretch of stupi-
dity, he could • afford a very good personal ejc*
emplification of it. Had he only attended to
the concluding words of this quotation front
scripture, " My name is in him," it might have
induced him to suspect something peculiar in
the expression. As he is a great admirer of the
Fathers, it will afford him satisfaction to hear
the observation of Justin Martyr on these
words. " Know therefore," says he to Trypho
the Jew and his companions, " that he who
P 3 " brought
* Ch. ill. ver. i. f ^* *^2. 213.
354 l»OPERY COKDEMNED BY
•' brought your fathers into the land of Canaan,
•• is also called Jesu^/'
*' That the angels do pray for us/' says the
R., " we know from several passages in Scrip-
*' ture : in the prophecies of Zachariaswe read :
''• 1.12. Jnd the Angel replied and said^ 0 Lord
** of Hosts ^ how long wilt thou not have mercy 07i
*■' Jerusalem and the cities of Juda^ with which
*' thou kast been angry now these ^0 years *."
The Rr, in this part of his book, seems to
have- forgotten the Fathers entirely. They
might have been consulted to advantage, I can
assure him, by a person who intended to explain
this part of the scripture,s. They appear uni-
versally to have been persuaded, that the angel
mentioned in it was Jesus Christ ; as he may
see by consulting Ribera the Jesuite, who has
collected their sentiments in his Commentary on
Heb. vii. 18.
•But farther, says he, " St. John saw an An-
** gel offering to God the prayers of the saints.
*' Rev. viii. 3. 4. f
The R., in his application of these words,
appears to be singular and solitary, for says
Viegas the Jesuite, " All interpreters confess,
" that by the angel Jesus Christ is to be under-
** stood here ; because no other can be sai4 to
*' ofler, in a manner so majestic and glorious,
*' the
* P. 213. f Ibid.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 353
*' the incense, that is, the prayers of all saints,
" upon the golden altar*."
His next proof is from the fifth chapter of
Joshua, where we have an account of his inter-
view with the prince or captain of the Lord's
host. '^ J\:)sue,'' says he, " being told by the
** Angel that he was Prince of the army of the
" Lord, fell on his lace and adored the Angel :
** .". . Josue- could not mistake the Angel for
** his God, because the Angel had told him
** that he himself was the chief of the army of
" God : . . . The Angel exacted a yet greater
** homage : he ordered Josue to loose his shoes
" from his feet, because the place on which he
•' stood was holy, and Josue done as he was or-
** deredf."
The R., in his observations on this part of
Joshua, is very profuse in his use of the word
angel. By recurring to the passage, he will see
that he is not authorised to do so by the expres-
sions of scripture. It does not afford him even
the appearance of proof for the worship of
either saint or angel ; for the person with whom
Joshua conversed is said to have been a man.
A little closer attention will also show him, that
this person, who called himself the captain of
the Lord's host, is named Jehova in a following
verse. Is there not, then, some reason for con-
cluding him to have been the same person whom
P 4 the
* In Loc. Sect. 2. f P. 214.
.SJ6 rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
the apostle Paul has styled the Captain of salva-
tion ? That apostle seems to have imagined
Chriijt the ccmductor of Israel, when he said,
** Nuither let us tempt Christ, as some of them
'* also tempted, and were destroyed of ser-
" pents *." Prone as Papists are to pervert the
plain meaning of scripture, there are many who
have acknowledged Christ to have been the Cap-
tain of the Lord's host ; " The apostle/* says
the Jesiiite Salmeron on these words of St. Paul,
'' intimates to us Christ's divinity, and that just-^
** ly ; for he was the peculiar leader and con-
" ductor of the Israelites/*
The R/s last and most extraordinary proof is
from the book of Revelation. " We find John
*' the Evangelist," says he, " falling prostrate
*' before the Angel, (see 9th of Rev.) The
" Ex. who is singularly unlucky in his referen^
•* ces, says, the Angel refused to receive this
*' homage — true, the Angel did, and thereby
" commends his modesty and humility in refu-
*' sing to receive such homage from so great
" and highly favoured an Apostle as St. John,
*' the beloved disciple of Jesus Christ ; but he
" will permit us to beUeve that St. John knew
" something of the Christian religion ; that he
** thought he might without being guilty of ido-
** latry pay a reverential worship to the Angel ?
*' if not, St. John w-as highly criminal in re-
*' peating
* I Cor. X. 9.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. Z5f
** peating the offence : for he tells us that again
*' when the vision was finished ; / Jo/in^ ivho
*' heard and saw these things ; and after I J tad
*' heard and seen I fell to adore before the feet of
*' the A?igel who shewed me these things, — Rev.
*' xvii. St. John was therefore convinced that
*' the Angels modesty did not free him from
*' the obligation of paying honor to whom ho-
*' nor is due . . . .*."
In order to ascertain the justness of the R.'s
observations, it may be of use to take a view of
the passage 6f^ scripture on which they arc
founded. " And I fell at his feet to worship
*' him ; And he said unto me, See thou do it'
* not ; I am, thy fellow-servant, aiid of thy bre-
** thren that have the testimony of Jesus ; Wor-
*' ship God f." In these words, there are twp
obvious reasons assigned for the rejection of this
adoration, " I am thy fellow-servant," andj
" worship God." But the R., by diving into
the very thoughts of this angel, has discovered
that it- was refused for very different causes.
The angel, in his opinion, neither intended to
show the impropriety of one fellowiservant wor-
shipping another in the Church, nor to restrict
adoration to God alone, but merely to teach us
how humble angels can be, and that there mav
be some in the Church who hav^-^''-i2'tHeed of
their prayers. When the R. '^e iiitle inclinai;Qe,.
3J8 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
thing like reason for his viev;s, they may per-
haps be controverted.
The apostle John, he thinks, was in so high
esteem with the Saviour, as not to need the in-
tercession of angels. Had he been much ac-
quainted with the nature of the gospel, he would
have known that the communications of divine
favour never originate in the personal qualifica-
tions of the Christian. These, an apostle as-
sures us, proceed from the free love of God to
men as sinners, and not saints : " God, who is
'' rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith
" he loved us, even when we were dead in sins,
** hath quickened us together with Christ : by
*' grace ye are saved *." If quickening, then,
or holy qualifications, originate in divine love,
how can they procure divine favour ? We can
easily conceive how one gift of God may follow
another ; but hew one should procure another,
the R. will find it hard to demonstrate. The
same apostle gives us a very different view of
the economy of grace : " He that spared not
^* his own Son, but delivered him up for us all,
*< how shall he not with him zhofreeli/ give us
♦* all things t?"
These quotations contain every thing which
the R. has produced from scripture with the
least ajr Sr.**^5i<:e of proof for the adoration of
9n> ' '.certainly a wretched foundatiou
* I Co. for
f Rom. viii. 32.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S59
for such a ponderous fabric. Bad, however, as
it is, it is much more extensive and strong than
his scriptural authorities for the worship of
saints. Of these, as far as I have been able to
discover, there are only two, and these two
neither contain precept nor example. Such as
they are.^ I will exhibit them to the reader.-
" That the Saints," says he, " are similar to
^' the Angels we know from the express decla-
" ration of J. Christ : t/iei/ are as the Angeh of
" God in Heaven : Mat. xxii. Theij are equal
*' to the jrlngeh, — Luke xx. *"
Christ, in these parts of scripture, is showing,
the Jews, not how much saints ought to be wor-
shipped, but what they resemble when they
have arrived at heaven ; and he compares them '
to angels, on account of an exact correspon-
dence in their condition ; " They neither marry
" nor are given in marriage."
" As power," says he farther, " is given to
" the Angels over nations, so power is given to
" the Saints who live with Christ, This truth
is expressly revealed by St. John : — To him
luho overcomes and observes my works to the
end^ I will give power over nations^ and lie
will rule them with a rod of iron. — ^Rev. ii,
" 26. 27. f
Much attached as the Romish Church is to
departed saints, she would have little inclination
P6 tO'
* P. 2 J 3. f ib:d.
is,
^SO POPERY CONDEMNED BY
to feel the effects of their government ; for it is
immediately subjoined, " as the vessel of a pot-
" ter shall they be broken in pieces." The R.
will have some difficulty in converting an iron
rod into a sceptre of grace to the Church. But
he has only to recollect, that before the saints can
receive this power, they must have overcome
death, as welt as other enemies ; and therefore,
prayers to them before the resurrection must be
rather premature..
To these strong proofs for the worship of
saints, the R. has added a kind of collateral as-
sistance : " We have," says he, " some stri-
*' king examples of the religious respect shown
*' to Saints both in the Old and New Testa*
*' ment ; 'tis said of Elias, 1 Kings, xvii. that;
*' Wben Abdias was in the ivay Elias met him^
'* 'Who^ ivhen he knew him^ fell on his face and
*^ said: this you ^ my Lord Elias ? and 2 Kings
*' i. 'tis said that after fire from heaven had
** consumed two Captains and their companies
•* in punishment of their disrespect to the pro-
** phet, &c. &c. The respect shewn the Pro-
•^ phets and the Apostles must have been of a
** religious nature ; they possessed no power or
*' place under Government, to which a civil
*' respect is due '^,"
Though the R. do not exhibit many marks
of acute discrimination, he might have easi-
* i\ 218. 210.
SCRIPTURE AND THE TATHERS, 361
ly distinguished between respect and worslnp
consisting in adoration and prayer. Still he has
great merit in discovering, that the nature of
the respect shown to a person must correspond
with his character and station. Thus, the re-
spect shown to a clergyman is religious, to an
officer of government civil, to a wicked man
vicious, and to a rogue thievish.
In defence of this worship, the R. has Hke-
wise made a feeble attempt to produce the Fa-
thers. He has, however, avoided a profuse ex-
hibition of their sentiments ; without doubt, be-
cause general observations are not so tiresome
to a reader as minute , discussion. *' To avoid
'' prolixity," says he, " let the Ex. and his
*' friends take Joseph Mede's testimony. This
" zealous Protestant, in order to show that the
" Papal power was the kingdom of Antichrist,
** has collected the concurring testimony of
*' many early writers in support of the doctrine
*' of the invocation of Seints and Angels.—
** Book iii. Ep. 16. &c. *"
That Mede, in proving the Pope to be Anti-
christ, has produced the testimony of many
early writers as evidences of the existence of
this prostitution of religion, is abundantly true.
But he knew that the more early writers were
strangers to such a practice in the Church ; and
therefore he has passed them in silence. As our
business
» P -T -
362 POPERY CONDEMN^ED BY
business at present is not to prove the Pope An-
tichrist, but to ascertain what is Christian doc-
trine, the R. can have no objections to approach
nearer apostolic times than Mede, and take the
Fathers as early as we find them. There, per-
haps, the R. may find something to kindle his
zeal, and arouse his indignation against the de-
generacy of Protestant heretics.
Whei\ Poly carp, the disciple of the apostle
John, was martyred, the proconsul, at the insti-
gation of the Jews, would not permit the Church
of Smyrna to receive his body ; lest, as the Jews
suggested, they should pay it divine honours, as
Christians in general did to the Saviour. To
this aspersion, the Church of Smyrna, in their
Epistle, replied, " These men know, that we
" can neither forsake Christ, who suffered for
" the salvadon of ail who are saved, the inno-
" cent for the guilty ; nor can w'e worship any
<' other. Him, being truly the Son of God,
" we adore ; but the martyrs, and disciples, and
" followers of the Lord, we justly love, for that
*' extraordinary affection which ihey have shewn
" for their king and master ; Of whose happi*
*' ness God grant that we maybe partakers, and
" that we may learn by their example.'*
Ireneus mentions some persons, who, in his
time, entertained a strange opinion of the power
of angels ; and on this account gave them divine
worship. But this, be assures us, was not the.
practice
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. SCO
practice of the Church. There, he informs us,
th-e worship of all creatures was excluded ; for
says he^ " Through the whole world, the Church
" does nothing by invocation of angels nor by
" incantations ; but purely and manifestly directs
*' her prayers to God who made all, and calls
" upon the name of our Lord Jesus Christ *."
" These things," says 1 ertuUian, " 1 can ask
" of none but him, from whom I know I shall
" obtain them ; because he alone grants them,
*' and I, to whom it belongs to obtain them, am
** his servant, and him alone I serve f."
Epiphanius informs us, that, as early as his
tim.e, some women began to worship the Virgin
Mary as the queen of heaven, by offering her a
cake. In opposition to this practice, he says,
*' Let us assume the spirit of men, and beat
** down the madness of these, women. For
" which of the prophets ever permitted a man
*' to be worshipped ? and much less a woman. . . ..
" The old error shall not reign among us ; to
*' forsake the living God, and worship things
*' which he has made. For if he will not suffer
*' the angels to be adored,, much less the daugh-
*' ter of Joachim and Ann |/'
But though the zeal of Epiphanius against the
worship of the Romish Church was great, he has
been considerably outdone by Justin Martyr, who
unchurches
* Lib. 2. c. 57. f Apol.. c. 34.
% Kares. 79. ad v.. Colly rid.
SG'h rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
unchurches every worshipper of angels and sanits;.
" But that God alone," says he, " ought to be
** worshipped, he thus teaches us, saying, T/ic
"- greatest conmiandmctit is, Thou shalt worship
" the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou ser-ve,
" with thy whole heart, and thy whols strength , . .
" Those persons, therefore, who do not obey
^' his instructions, show themselves to be no
*' Christians, though they may profess the doc-
*' trine of Christ *."
The R. has produced two quotations from the
Books of Ongen against Celsus, in behalf of
the worship of angels. But, in neither, is there
the least hint of any such a practice then subsist-
ing in the Church. " Origen," says he, " a
*' very early and well-informed writer, speaks of
*' it as an universal practice in the Church :
*' The Angel of ^ the Christian offers his prayers to
" God through the only High Priest^ himself, also
" praying for him, %vho is committed to his charge,
** Lib. 8. Con. Celsum.* In the fifth book he
*ysciyc, that the angels carry up our prayers to
** G<^, and bring down his blessings to us^J'*
Since the R. ha-s given him th€ character of a
very early and well-informed Vv'riter, I will pre-
sent him a specimen of the information which he
has transmitted to us in these very Books against
Celsus. " We must pray to him alone," says-
he, *' who is God over all ', and we must pray
'• to
* Apol. 2. p. 63. f P. 215.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 365
* to the Word of God, his only-begotten and
* the first-born of every creature, and we must
' humbly beseech him as our high-priest, to
' present our prayer (for it is known to him)
* to his Father, and the Father of them who
' Hve according to the word of God *. Good
' angels in some sense we reverence and honour
*■ as God's ministers ; but we worship one God
' and his only Son with prayers and supplica-
' tions ; offering them to God by his only-be-
' gotten, begging that he, as our high-priest,
' would present them to God f. All prayers
' are to be offered to God ; and it is not rea-
' sonable to invoke angels J/'
*-* The first God,'' says Arnobius, " is enaugh
i' for us : In him, we woi^ship all that is to be
'' worshipped ||."
Athanasius, in his Orations against the Arians,
exhibits the w^orship given to Christ as a decisive
evidenc<3 of his divinity. In explairyng these
words of the apostle Paul, " Now God himself
' and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ,
' direct our way unto you. §," he says, " No
' man is a true Catholic, who would pray to
' receive any thing from God, and angels or
' any other creature ; Nor has any Christian
*^ as yet used this form of prayer or words,
" God and an angel grant it to you ^ :" And
says
* Lib. 8. f Ibid. t Lib. 5. || Contr.
Gent. Lib. 3. §1 lT*€ss. iii. ji. ^ Orat. 4.
S66 • rOPERY CONDEMNED BY
says Novatian upon the same subject, " If Christ
" be only man, why is he invoked in. prayer ?
"... This is not the prerogative of man, but of
" God*."
If the R . would shew the worship of saints and
angels to be an apostoUc doctrine, let him pro-
duce his proofs from these more early writers,
and not from persons who wrote when this abo-
minable practice had begun to creep into the
Church. In consulting the works of the Fathers,
he ought also to distinguish oratorical and poeti-
cal apostrophes, from what is written coolly to
illustrate the doctrines of religion. The former,
Theodoret assures us, ought not to be consider-
ed as a rule of faith f ; and even Sixtus Senen-
sis, a Papist, acknowledges, that many things,
which the Fathers have said in their public dis-
courses, proceeded from the passions, and can-
not be justified |. A cursory view of modem
writers will show him the propriety of making
this discrimination. No person ever imagined
Shakespeare a Papist, though he said, *' Angels
*' and ministers of grace defend us;" nor the
British poets heathens, though they have invoked
the muses.
When the R. has controverted these authori-
ties from the Fathers, he may perhaps be fur-
nished with a fresh supply. As an antidote a-
gainst
* De Trjnit. c. 14. f Dial. 3.
.t Biblioth. Lib. 6. Annot. 152.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 367
gainst the worship of saints and angels, I would
advise him to ponder seriously his own proofs
snd illustrations. But should this not induce
him to relinquish his views, let him, in his next
publication, support them from the Fathers of
the three first centuries.
11. Images and Relics.
The R. has told us, that the veneration of
4
ima8;es and relics consists in a certain relative re-
spect *. Though he has not specified the nature
of this relative respect, his deficiencies can be
supplied from the acts of the Councils. " Due
" honour and veneration," says the Council of
Trent, '* must be given them, according to the
** definition of the second Nicene Council f.'*
In the acts of that Council, we are then to find
the faith of the Romish Church ; and these teach
us, that images are not merely to be respected,
but worshipped. " I worship and adore the ve-
*• nerable images, and I declare those accursed
" who do not so profess or practise J. It is
*^ without doubt acceptable and pleasing to God
*' to worship and salute the images of Christ,
" the blessed Virgin, angels, and all saints ||.'^
In what the veneration of relics consists, it is
more difficult to determine. These are so mul-
tiform as to exceed the power of reduction to
order ;
* P. 217. f Sess. 25. t Act 2. II Act 7.
S68 POPEKY CONDEMNED BY
order ; so that a great deal inust be left to the
judgement of the simple faithful. Thus, for ex*
ample, there must be some difference in the wor-
ship offered to the panngs of St. Edmund's toes,
and that given to the coals which roasted St. Lau-
rence, or to the stones preserved among the
Glassenbury relics, as the identical stones which
the devil tempted Christ to turn into bread.
Some, we know, are to receive divine worship ;
for says Aquinas, " If we speak of the very cross
'' upon which Christ was crucified, it is to be
'' worshipped with divine worship ; both as it
" represents Christ, and touched the members
" of his body, and was sprinkled with his blood:
*' And for these reasons, we both speak ro the
" cross and pray to it, as if it were Christ cru-
<« cified upon it *." But others, intended mere-
ly to terrify the witches, cure the diseases of
cattle, kill vermin, and serve ether little neces-
sary purposes, must receive a veneration suited
to the nature of their uses.
Though many of the relics of the Romish
Church may seem considerably remote from re-
ligion, such as the pap-spoon of the Virgin, and
the tail of the ass on which Christ rode to Jeru-
salem, yet they ought not to be view^ed with in-
difference. The Church can attest how useful
they have been to both the souls and bodies of
the simple. Besides begetting naturally a great
reverence
* P. 3. Qu. 25. Art. 4.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 369
reverence for religion, they have been produc-
tive of the most stupendous miracles in behalf of
their worshippers, and for the vindication of the
truth. Had the reader only faith to believe, he
might be told of the wondrous cures performed
by the Holy Thorn ; how the bones of St. Ger-
vaise and St. Prolaise cured an old blind butcher;
how the relics of the saints have cast out devils,
and sent them yelling into the Red Sea in my-
riads ; and many other strange events, equally
true and marvellous. But as the present design
is to give a just view of Popish relics, and not
to write their histor}^, I will mention only one
fact, which v/ill beget admiration even in Pro-
testant heretics.
Prince Christopher, of the family of the dukes
of Radzecil, having gone a pilgrimage to Rome
to kiss his Holiness' toe, received, a:s a reward
of his piety, a b?)x of very precious relics. These,
on his return home, becaine the consolation of
the aillicted, and the terror of the devil. Even
the most stubborn of those evil spirits, over
whom ordinary relics possessed no influence, ac-
knowledged their virtue in bellowings of sub-
mission.
Scarcely had a few months illustrated their
power, when some monks, with humble intrea-
ty, requested the use of them for the benefit of
a man into whom the devil had entered. As
this foul fiend stuck to his new habitation with
the
370 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
tjie Utmost stubbornness, and had disregarded
their most potent conjurations, the Prince readi-
ly complied : And no sooner were they applied
to the body of the demoniac, than the devil was
forced to decamp. The spectators exclaimed,
A miracle ! a miracle ! and the Prince lifted up
his heart and hands in pious gratitude to God,
for bestowing upon him such a holy and power-
ful treasure.
Some time after, when the Prince was relating
to his friends this wonderful deliverance, and
extolling the virtues of his relics, one gentle-
man, who had been in his retinue at Rome, dis-
covered uncommon incredulity. Being posed to
account for his rejecting such plain evidence as
attended this transaction, he told him, that in
returning from Rome, he had unluckily lost the
box of relics, which had been entrusted to his
care. To screen himself, therefore, from his
resentment, he had provided another exactly si-
milar, and filled it with bones and little trinkets ;
and this was the identical box v^hich had wrought
such great wonders.
Next morning, the Prince sent for the monks,
and asked, if they knew any other demoniac
who needed his relics. A person of this descrip-
tion was easily found ; for the devil, in Popish
countries, is particularly remarkable for his spi-
rit of opposition, and is generally to be found
nestling in the neighbourhood of relics. AVhen
the
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. STl
the monks produced the demoniac, the Prince
caused him to be exorcised in his presence, but
without effect. The devil kept his birth with all
the obstinacy of a mule, and would neither be
moved by threats nor coaxing. The Prince then
ordered the monks to withdraw, and delivered
the demoniac to some Tartars, whom he kept
about his stable, with orders to give the devil his
due. At first, the demoniac thought to terrify
them by his horrible gestures and. grimaces ; but
these Tartars used their whips with such faithful-
ness as the devil never witnessed before. Ha-
ving never dreamed of such a mode of exorci-
sing, he found himself taken on the weak side j
and therefore, without the use of either relics,
hard words, or holy w^ter, he began to cry for
quarter, and confessed, that the monks had hired
him to personate a character, which he was ill
qualified to sustain.
The Prince again requested the presence of
the monks, and produced to them the man, who
threw himself at his feet, and acknowledged the
imposture. They at first declared this to be only
an artifice of the devil, who employed the or-
gans of this man to propagate such a falsehood,
to the discredit of rehgion. But when the Prince
told them, how necessary it was to exorcise the
father of lies out of them also, they began to re-
pent, and acknowledged that they had been guil-
ty of this imposition, with a view to stop the
progress
S72 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
progress of Lutheranism, and save the souls of
all good Papists in that country. He then dis-
missed them, at the same time telling them, that
such pious frauds were mere diabolical inven-
tions, and that he would no longer trust his sal-
vation to men who used such means to support
their religion. He accordingly began to turn
his attention to the scriptures ; and, notwith-
standing their obscurity, he understood as much
of their meaning as showed him the absurdity of
Popish principles, and induced him to make an
open profession of the Reformed religion.
The reader may perhaps be curious to know
what the Pope had put into this wonderful box*
But the loss of it has for ever deprived us of this
important piece of information. For his satis-
faction, however, I can give him an abstract of
the catalogue of images and relics which former-
ly belonged to the cathedral of Glasgow. At
the Reformation, there were treasured up there,
an image of our Savieur in gold, the twelve a-
postles in silver, and two silver crosses, enriched
with precious stones, and small portions of the
wood of the true cross. There were, likewise,
five silver caskets, containing the following ar-
ticles of adoration. 1, Some hair of the blessed
Virgin ; 2, A piece of the hairy garment worn
by St. Kentigern, a part of the scourge wdth
which he flogged himself, and a part of- the
scourge used by St. I'homas a Becket , 3. A
piece
SCRIPTURE AN'D THE FATHERS. 373
piece of St. Bartholomew's skin I 4. A bone of
St. Ninlim ; 5. A piece of the girdle worn by the
Virgin Mary. In a crystal case, was contained
a bone of St. Magdalene. There were also four
crystal phials, containing a part of the Virgin
Mary's milk, a piece of the manger in which
Christ was laid, a red liquor which formerly
flowed from the tomb of St. Kcntigern, som€
bones of St. Eugene and St. Blaise, and a part
of the tomb of St. Catharine. There were six
hides containing very precious relics ; such as,
a piece of St. Martin's cloak, part of the bodies
of St. Kentigern and St. Thomas a Becket, ^c.
Two linen bags were filled v/ith saints' bones ;
and a vast assemblage of small relics were lodged
in a wooden chest *.
When the Reformation rendered images and
relics useless in Scotland, the Archbishop of
Glasgow retired to France, and carried along
wiih him this precious treasure. With such a
host of friendly intercessors, he could not fall
to enjoy a cordial reception from the Chuich.
Uhe most mortified ecclesiastic in France c<.3uld
scarcely behold a golden Saviour and silver a-
postks without welcome greetings, and feeling!;
his demure visage relaxing into smiles of com-
placence.
Though I cannot at present give the reader a
view ot all the uses of relics in religion, there is
Q on^^
* Beauties of Scotland,, vol. 2* p. 217. 21B.
POPERY CONDEMNhD BY
one, which it would be doing injustice to the
subject to omit. Like oral tradition, they have
been found of vast use for explaining obscure
passages of scripture. Of this many edifying il-
lustrations might be produced ; but one will
serve as a specimen of the whole. Five devout
pilgrims, happening to meet on their return from
Rome, loaded with these excellent helps to reli-
gion, each began to extol his acquisitions. After
much conversation highly characteristic of their
faithful simplicity, they produced their riches ;
and, lo, to their great amazement, each was ho-
noured with a foot of the very ass upon which
Christ rode to Jerusalem. Now, the reader may
recollect, that the scriptures do not even tell us
that this ass had a foot, but here is decisive proof
of the existence of five ; and if five were collect-
ed by five pilgrims only, let him conceive how
many must be travelling through other parts of
the Church, to assist the simple faithfal in their
exercises of devotion. The Romish Church is
remarkably lucky, in picking up this relic before
the existence of the Antiquarian Society. The
discovery of an ass v/!th five feet would have ren-
dered them frantic with joy, and completely
marred the devotions of the v.hole congregation
of the simple. Kalher than see si.ch a precious
ass deprived of one hoof, they would permit
every member of the Church to remain in igno-
rance for ever.
At
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 375
I At present, I cannot, as usual, refer the R,
to the writings of the Fathers in conHrmation
I' of the above fact. It is one of those factvS
which are known to the Church only by oral
tradition.
Such idle fooleries has the Church of Rome
palmed upon the world, under pretence of re-
ligion. A view of their influence upon our an-
cestors is sui^cient to show their opposition to
the spirit of the gospel. In proportion as our
progenitors were actuated by this gloomy super-
stition, we find them destitute of practical piety
and every socird. virtue. They spent that time
and property in idle pilgrimages, in hunting
after relics, and in other nonsensical acts of de-
votion, which ought to have been employed for
the benefit of mankind 5 and multitudes at last
beggared their families, to perpetuate these de-
lusions. So prevalent was this evil in England,
that the statute of Mortmain was found neces-
sary to prevent the whole landed property of
the nation from becoming the plunder of the
Church.
When the Church of Rome maintains the
usefulness of images and relics as means of de-
votion, it is merely a cloak to conceal the basest
and most selfish view^. Let the R. observe
- either the former or the present state of that
community, and he will find, that wherever
Q 2 these
fiTS rOPERY CONI>ZMNED BY
these appendages of superstition have abounded,
they have always been connected with swarms of
monks, remarkable only for their vices, and for
nnpoverishing the bigotted and the ignorant.
Mistaken views of religion introduced them at
lirst into the Church ; and afterwards they have
been used to render mankind subservient to the
gratifications of the clergy. The advice given
to Pope Julius III. by the bishops assembled at
Bononia, discovers the light in which the crafty
ecclesiastics of the Romish Church view the re-
lics of the saints. " When any bishop," said
they, " sets himself to officiate in any divine
*' service with pomp and solemnity, he ought to
•' have many ornaments to distinguish him from
'' ordinary priests ; such as, the bones and re-
" lies of some dead man. Do you comniand
'* him to hang a whole naked leg, arm, or head
•' of seme saint, about his neck by a good thick
^* cord ; for that will contribute very much to
" increase the rehgious astonishment of all who
*' behold it. The truth is, these ceremonies
*" were all invented and corxtinued by Popes ;
" you, therefore, who are a Pope, may, if you
*' please, augment them.''
Let us now observe, how the R. has proven
a relative respect due to images and relics.
In discussing this point, he has neither in-
formed us how graven and molten images can
convey
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. S77
Convey to the mind adequate conceptions of the
Deity and glorified saints, nor how the worship
of old rags and shoes, &c. can be acceptable to
God. He has also cautiously avoided an expla-
nation of the second precept of the decalogue,
and other parts of scripture, in which the
judgements of God are denounced against the
worshippers of images. He has merely produ-
ced what he imagines to be examples of respect
for relics. A short view of these will discover^
that, had he designed to render this expiring
cause ridiculous, he could not have chosen more
apposite illustrations.
" By faith Jacob dying, blessed each of Jo-
*' seph's sons, and worshipped on the summit
*' of his rod or sceptre : in the Hebrew text,
*' *tis io the head of his bed. The Apostle there-
** fore shewing Jacob's faith, in worshipping Jo-
'* seph'o sceptre as an emblem of Christ's
'* sceptre and kingdom, did not cite the Hebrew
" text as we have it *.'^
The R. has not specified whether this rod wa^^
a saint, angel, or relic ; but this is a kind of
worship which will not bear nice discrimination*
In expounding these words of the apostle Paul,,
he should have also considered, that placing
truth and falsehood so closely together might
perhaps lead to detection. Does this apostle
say, that Jacob worshipped the top of Joseph'j
Q 3 rod \
» P. 6q.
378 POPERY CONDEMNED EY
rod ? The Vulgate translation, indeed, men-
tions something like it ; but this, he might have
known, is a corruption, which has crept into it
since the days of Jerome, who made it ; for
says he, " Some persons foolishly feign, that
*' Jacob adored the top of Joseph's sceptre,
*' that, in honour of his son, he adored his
*' power. But the Hebrew reading is very dif-
^' ferent. Israel, it is there said, worshipped
" upon the bed's head, that is, after exacting
*' an oath of his son, and secure of his request,
" he worshipped God, &c. *"
" The pious Josiah," says the R., " respect-
*' ed the bones of the prophet, who foretold
♦* the destruction of Bethel — 4. b. of Kings,
^* xxiii. 18. and Moses himself returning from
" Egypt, took with him the bones of the great
♦' patriarch Joseph. . . f"
In producing this illustration, he might have
likewise added, that this prophet announced the
destruction of Bethel for presuming to worship
God by images. Since the R. would exhibit
these bones as relics, can he inform us where
they were worshipped ? and when the clergy of
these days hung them about their necks in sa-
crificing to God ? The bones of dead men
could not then be handled to advantage ; and
therefore the Church permitted them to rest isi
peace ; " Let him alone,'* said Josiali, '^ let no
*• man
* Oi.Kst. in gen, -f P. 2i6.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 370
** m?.n move his bones ; so they let his bones
*' alone *.*' It has been the peculiar preroga-
tive of the Romish Church to disturb the ashes
of the dead, and plunder their sepulchres.
The R. must have presumed a great deal
indeed upon the ignorance of his readers,
when he introduced the bones of Joseph as
a corroboration of the practices of the Ro-
mish Church. Yet, so confident is he re-
specting this particular, that he mentions it
twice ; " The respect and veneration,'* says he
again, " shown to relics .... is clearly reveal-
*' ed both in the Old and New Testament :
" Moses going out of Egypt took with him the
" bones of the Patriarch Joseph f." A plain
statement of scriptural facts will sufficiently re-
fate his groundless insinuations : " By faith Jo-
" seph, when he died, gave commandment con-
'' cerning his bones J.*' " And Joseph said
•* unto his brethren, I die ; and God will surely
" visit you, and bring you out of this land into
*' the land which he sware unto Abraham, to
*' Isaac, and to Jacob, And Joseph took an
*' oath of the children of Israel, saying, God
*' will surely visit you, and ye shall carry up
*' my bones from hence ||." " And Moses
** took the bones of Joseph with him ; for he
" had straitly sworn the children of Israel, say.
* 2 Kings, xxlii. 18. ' f P. 219. 220.
X Heb. xi. 22. 11 Gen- 1. 24. 25.
380 POPERY CONDEMNED BY
*' ing, God shall surely visit you, and ye shall
*' carry up my bones away hence with you *."
** And the bones of Joseph, which the children
*' of Israel brought up out of Egypt, buried
** they in Shechem f."
" In like manner," says he, '' we read that
*' the greatest possible respect was paid to the
*' Ark of the Covenant, which was but an image
•• of the throne of God, . . . . |"
Can the R. specify any particular period in
which the ark was worshipped with prayer and
adoration ? If not, why does he produce it as a
proof of the worship of images ? According ta
the views of the Council of Trent, nothing less
could constitute a proper degree of worship to
such an image : For say they, " The honour
*' which is paid to images, is referred to the ori-
*' ginals which they represent [[ ;'' and there-
fore an image of the throne of God mud be
entitled to all the worship wliich men can give
it.
*' We know^'' says he, " the veneration
" which was conceived for the Brazen Serpent,
'• on which whoever looked when bit by the
" fiery serpents, was instantly healed §."
And we know, likewise, that when IsraeJ
treated it with Popish honours, Hezekiah, a
friended reformer, sprung up in the Church,
and
* Exod. >;ul. 19. f Josh. xxiv. 32, 4^ P. 219.
11 Sess. ^5. § P. 210.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. 2S1
and attbrded an example which has been duly
imitated bv his Protestant successors. '' He re-
" moved the high places, and brake the images,
" and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces
'* the brazen serpent which Moses had made :
** for unto those days the children of Israel did
" burn incense unto it ;" And, what will appear
very surprising to the R., whose principles must
induce him to execrate such Protestant conduct,
it is added, " He did that which was right in
" the sight of the Lord **."
" EHsha," says he fr.rther, '^ when his mas-
'* ter Elias was translated in a fiery chariot by
*' Angels, on his return struck the waters of
'* Jordan with the mantle which had fallen from
" the prophet, saying : Where noixx is the God of
*' Ellas .... and the waters were divided hither^
" and thither and Ellsha passed over, 2 Kings,
" ii. 14. What Catholic ever expressed such
*' confidence in any relic as this holy prophet
*' did in the mantle of Elias f ?'*
Such contemptible prostitution of scripture
discovers how hardly the R. was beset in ilhis-
trating his sentiments. Will he inform us whose
relic this mantle was, when Elijah himself used
it for the same purpose, and with similar effect ?
If Elisha placed his confidence in it as a relic,
why did he, instead of giving it due worship,
turn
* 2 Kings, xvlii. 3. j, f P. 220.
S82 POPKRY CONDEMNED BY
turn his attention entirely to the Lord God of Eli-
jah ? With the promise of a double portion of
that spirit with which Elijah had been endowed,
he imagined himself competent to perform the
same works ; and hence this imitation of his
conduct. But let the R. tell us, whether the
future miracles of Elisha were performed by the
assistance of this mantle, or by the spirit of E-
lijah.
He next produces the history of the revival
of a dead man, by touching the bones of Elisha,
and adds, " Would the Ex. permit this man,
** who was raised from the dead, or his friendar
•* to have some respect for these venerable bones
*' to which he was so much indebted *."
When he can show us, that Israel took up
the bones of the prophet and worshipped them,
this will be acknowledged as a precedent for the
P<:>pish doctrine of relics.
His last proof is taken from the Acts of the
Apostles : " God wrought special ?niracles by the
'' hand of Paid^ so that even there were brought
*' from his body handkerchiefs and aprons^ and
*' the diseases departed from them and the wicked
** spirits went out of them. If one of these
*' handkerchiefs or aprons, had relieved the Ex.
*' from a mortal disease, would he have thrown
*' it aside to rot ? would he shew no sort of re-
" spect
* P. 2 20.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS. ?'SS
*' spectlo an instrument to which he was in-
*' debtee! lor a continuation of life * r"
Another quotation from the Acts of the A-
postles will afford a sufficient' reply ; " Inso-
*' much that they brought forth the sick into
" the streets, and laid them on beds and couches,
" that at the least the shadow of Peter passing
*' by might overshadow some of them f." The
R. must acknowledge, that these shadows were
very substantial relics ; and doubtless they were
carefully preserved by the Church, for the be-
nefit of the diseased upon future occasions.
When the R. raked together all these suppo-
sititious exa^nples from scripture for this kind of
worship, why did he overlook the precepts with
which the book of Revelation abounds ? If the
former be entirely imaginary, the latter are as
plain and direct concerning image-worship, as
he could possibly desire* To show him that he
might have treated this subject to much better
purpose, I will subjoin a few of those hints
which are given us in the scriptures, of the
manner in which we ought to conduct ourselves
with reference to images.
" Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
*' image, nor any likeness of any thing that is
*' in heaven ^bove, or that is in the earth be-
*' neath, or that is in the waters under the
" earth.,
* P. 220. f Ch. V. i ji-
So4? POPERY CONDEMNED BY
" earth. I'hou shnlt not bow down thvself to
'* them, nor serve them . . . **'
" Ye sliall make no idols nor graven image,
" neither rear ye up a standing image, neither
*' shall ye set up any image of stone in your
" land, to bow down unto it f.^'
" What agreement hath the temple of God
*' with images \ ?'*
*' Little children, keep yourselves from i-
** mages |)/'
As the R. has tacitly forsaken his acquaint-
ances the Fathers, it will be unnecessary to pro-
duce their sentiments on this subject. Should
he, however, express the least irrlination to
hear them, they can be profusely exhibited. A
search into the wrinngs of the first centuries for
this absurd and abominable superstition, would
be a fruitless labour. The primitive Christians
were too frequently taught by afRiction, to
be conft^rmed to the world, and too often felt
their need of the true consolations of religion,
to trust in the lying vanities of their superstitious
descendants. If tlie R. wish to fmd the begin-
ning of this abomination, he must look for it at
a time when heathens and their opinions were
too freely admitted into the Church ; when
pride and contention had banished the spirit of
religion ;
* Excd. XX. 4. c. f Lev. xxv'. i.
1 2 Cor, vl, 16. Ij I j«^Iin, V. zi.
SCRIPTURE AND THE FATHERS.
S63
religion ; when the luxury and dissipation of
the clergy had displaced the simplicity of primi-
tive times. But he may be assured, that not-
withstanding his props, the days of superstitious
foolery are fast hastening to an end. The
Church of Rome has long been the habitation
of devils, and '' the hold of every foul spirit,
" and a cage of every unclean and hateful
*' bird j" and the events of providence are
tending to introduce that period, in which the
beast and the false prophet shall reap the fruit
of their labours ; when the divine prediction
concerning Rome shall receive its accomplish-
ment : '' And the light of a candle shall shine
** no more at all in thee ; and the voice of the
** bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard
** no more at all in thee ; . . . for by thy sorce-
*' ries were all nations deceived."
J- FUhr.s i^ So;is, F/L'^(<^rs,Zdmt>urgf^.
POi t(
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H'
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■f.
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